The University of California and its largest union have reached a tentative contract for service workers this week after more than a year of bitter disagreement, avoiding a five-day strike that was planned for next week.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees 3299 union announced Thursday it has called off its upcoming strike, which would have been its third in less than a year. The union represents about 8,300 UC service workers, including food service workers, gardeners, bus drivers and custodians.
“We’re happy to have been able to reach what is really a historic tentative agreement,” said Todd Stenhouse, AFSCME 3299 spokesman. “It’s important for folks to know that these things always involved compromise on both sides and we’re really happy UC chose to come to the table yesterday in that spirit.”
The University’s four-year contract with AFSCME 3299’s service employees answers the union’s demands for higher wage increases and increased staffing levels. The agreement includes a 4.5 percent signing bonus, in addition to 3 percent wage increases for all employees and 2 percent increases for most employees each year for three years.
The contract also includes a freeze in health care rates, an offer the University has not given to any other union. Under the agreement, AFSCME 3299 service employees would pay 9 percent of their wages for pension and retiree health care.
The University would also limit its use of outside contractors and improve job protection from layoffs in its agreement.
Benefits for AFSCME service employees under this contract will be paid for with revenue from auxiliary enterprises on UC campuses, including student housing, parking and food services, said Dianne Klein, UC spokeswoman.
Arguments between the University and AFSCME have made their negotiations for a contract among the longest and most visible of all unions in the UC. AFSCME held two strikes last year that cost the UC more than $30 million, and its upcoming five-day strike would have cost the UC $10 million each day in lost revenue and funds needed to hire replacement workers.
Both parties said they were happy the conflict was finally resolved but that it shouldn’t have taken this long to reach agreement.
“I think it’s very unfortunate that negotiations with AFSCME have been acrimonious … We’re all members of the UC community and we should be working together instead of this fighting among ourselves,” Klein said. “So the good news is there is no strike on Monday and I think this agreement certainly bodes well for continued participation.”
AFSCME 3299 and the University still have yet to reach an agreement for AFSCME’s nearly 13,000 patient care workers. The two parties have bargaining sessions scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
“One of the things this process has shown us is that it’s gone on way too long,” Stenhouse said. “Patient care has been (going on for) well over 20 months now. It’s past time to get this done.”
Both sides said the progress reached with service employees makes them hopeful that agreement can also be reached for patient care employees. Kathryn Lybarger, AFSCME 3299 president, said in a statement released Thursday she hopes the spirit of compromise the UC brought to the table Wednesday will continue.
“If it does, we believe that an end to this unfortunate, protracted dispute may finally be within reach, and a new period of cooperation can begin,” she said in the statement.
Compiled by Kristen Taketa, Bruin senior staff.
It sounds like the University completely caved in to Union demands. I’d love to get a freeze in my own healthcare rates, but it looks like you need to be a hellraiser to get that kind of perk. I also note the ridiculousness of limiting access to outside contractors. The university locks itself into a strange position where they are forced to use overly expensive labor.