The university has tentatively agreed upon a new contract with the patient care workers union, after over a year of negotiations, legal action and protests.
The proposed contract, which was announced on Monday, covers 11,500 patient care workers whose contracts expired in October.
The terms include wage increases totalling $127 million, health benefits, daily overtime and double time for work done after a shift ends.
Members of the union will still need to vote on the contract before it is signed in November.
Officials from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents the patient care workers, said they were pleased with the signing of a “historic” contract, but said they were still looking forward to reaching an agreement for the service workers, who are under a separate contract.
“I think that it’s a really good victory and part one of what we’re trying to accomplish,” said Lakesha Harrison, president of the union.
Paul Schwartz, spokesman for the University of California Office of the President, said the university is making efforts to meet the needs of the workers.
“All of our employees deserve to be fairly compensated and we are working hard toward that goal to the extent that resources allow,” he said.
Negotiations for the service worker contract, which is separate from the patient care workers and covers 8,500 employees, are ongoing between university and union officials.
Harrison said that the public offers made by the university are insufficient to meet the needs of the workers.
“(It) doesn’t help move out workers out of poverty,” she said. “When you work a full-time job at the University of California, you should not be eligible for public assistance programs.”
Schwartz agreed that in some cases, the salaries for service workers lag the market, but added that both sides must cooperate to reach an agreement.
“We are offering over $20 million in raises for service employees and we have tripled the amount of money we are offering for the first year of the contract,” Schwartz said.
He added that in order to raise salaries in an equitable manner across the university system would “require massive amounts of resources, which we do not have in light of the state budget crisis.”
Despite the state of the economy, Harrison said she was confident that the university could afford their demands.
“The university has shown time and time again they have money to pay themselves,” Harrison said.
Earlier this month, the union began running television commercials to gain public support for their cause. During the past year, the union has also held protests, applied for court injunctions and held a five-day strike in July, according to Daily Bruin archives.
Harrison said another strike could be possible if negotiations are unsuccessful.
“We hope not, but we don’t rule it out,” she said.