Ratification Vote

Our Tentative Agreement

Following the recognition of our unit, seven months of bargaining, and a high participation open letter to the UC president, UC management signed a full tentative agreement with the our Bargaining Team on Thursday, September 17, 2026.

Before and After Comparison
Bargaining Team Recommendation
FAQs
Full Tentative Agrement

Highlights of the Tentative Agreement

Wages

  • At least 27.8% wage increase over the life of the contract
  • Within Year 1:
    • 5% across-the-board increases effective July 1st, 2026 
    • 1% ratification bonus within 90 days of ratification
    • 1% base-building bonus January 1, 2027
  • Enforceable process to create a step wage system guaranteeing progressive wage increases every year of the contract. On average, increases of at least 2% in addition to annual across-the-board increases.
    • Step system placement will account for years of service
  • Maintain access to STAR awards

Job Security: Contract to Career Conversion

  • Ending practice of contract work for SSAP and RPSPs
  • Pathway to conversion for all current contract and limited appointment employees to career positions with layoff rights and full benefits
  • Protections against the misuse of floater and limited appointments

Job Security: Layoff Protections

  • Layoffs will occur in inverse order of seniority, ensuring no favoritism in layoff selection
  • Employees must receive at least 30 days notice or pay in lieu of notice
  • All career employees have the option to choose either: one week of severance for every year worked up to 16 weeks, or preferential rehire and recall rights
  • Contract-to-career conversion expands pool of eligibility for severance and preferential rehire
  • Remote workers unable to comply with a return-to-office mandate are now eligible for layoff benefits

Job Security: Subcontracting Protections

  • Subcontracts should not be used with the primary intent of reducing the number of career ComMaS positions
  • Should subcontracting displace ComMaS staff, the University must provide a copy of the Request for Proposals (RFP) within 7 days after it is issued and give at least 60 days notice prior to the commencement of work by the contractor
  • Displaced staff must be offered comparable work (same location) if their duties are subcontracted within 90 days

Healthcare and Retirement Benefits

  • Annual caps on healthcare premium increases (7.5% cap for Kaiser, 5% cap for UC Blue & Gold)
  • Monthly subsidies on employee contributions for healthcare premiums for Kaiser & UC Blue & Gold
  • A monetary increase in retirement account contributions due to our substantial wage increases
  • Maintained retirement choice options 

Grievance and Arbitration

  • Fair process with enforceable timelines when UC violates the contract (a “grievance”)
  • Grievances are appealable to a neutral, third-party arbitrator who makes a binding decision
  • Employees are made whole when an arbitrator rules that UC violated the contract 

Fair and Equitable Career Progression

  • Fair and enforceable process to request reclassification and address career stagnation
  • Every employee is entitled to a clear job description and timely reviews for promotion as your job responsibilities increase
  • Additional job responsibilities will come with additional pay and fair pathways to promotion
  • Misclassifications can be addressed through the grievance and arbitration process
  • Protections against biased or retaliatory performance evaluations
  • University-required training will be considered paid time
  • Training and development leave can be used for taking certification exams related to your career

Workload 

  • Workload must be reasonable
  • Stipends to compensate employees for taking on additional duties
  • Opportunity for non-exempt workers to request preferable shift assignments
  • Clarification and protections for On-Call staff

Flexible Work Agreements (Remote/Hybrid)

  • Right to negotiate over impacts of flexible work policies
  • Fair standards for maintaining existing agreements, including informal, ad-hoc agreements between managers and staff
  • Clear, criteria-based procedure to change agreements and arbitrable protections against arbitrary,  capricious, and/or discriminatory RTO orders
  • Right to request & just processes for evaluating new, flexible work agreements
  • Assurance of fair disability accommodation procedures involving remote/hybrid Arrangements
  • First-of-its-kind layoff protections for staff more than 50 miles from their home campus and benefits for employees who cannot return to work if needed, including up to $3,000 to assist with moving expenses
  • Article is enforceable through the grievance and arbitration process

Vacation and Leaves

  • One new floating holiday per year that can be used any time, including during Winter Curtailment
  • Three days of available sick leave for new employees
  • Total of twelve months leave for new birth parents, including eight weeks guaranteed paid parental leave and six months childcaring leave regardless of FMLA eligibility

New Technology

  • New technology, such as AI, cannot be used to replace our professional judgment
  • University must negotiate the impacts of new technology in our workplaces

Immigration

  • Guaranteed leave to attend immigration hearings and additional job security related to work visa issues
  • Agreement from management to notify us in the event that ICE enters our work spaces
  • Job protections for employees who are detained due to their immigration status
  • Reasonable efforts for reemployment for workers with work authorization terminated, then re-obtained

Disability Accommodations

  • The interactive process for accommodations is enforceable through the contract
  • Management is required to provide immediate workplace adjustments during the accommodations process

Workplace Abuse Protections, Respectful Work Environment, and Non-Discrimination

  • Accountability for anti-discrimination, bullying, and harassment policies through neutral third-party arbitration
  • Immediate action from management when allegations of bullying, harassment, or discrimination are made;
  • Provision of interim measures to allow staff to continue to work during the process
  • Ability to grieve, arbitrate, and rebut a performance evaluation’s content, form, timing, procedure, impacts, and process as they relate to a respectful work environment, non-discrimination, or other right

Just Cause for Discipline and Dismissal

  • UC can only discipline or dismiss an employee with fair notice and just cause, and has the burden of proof to show that discipline is justified
  • Expedited grievance and arbitration process to resolve discipline cases
  • Disciplinary documents removed from personnel file after two years

Union Rights

  • Right of individuals to follow their conscience and refuse to cross a picket line
  • Collective voice at work
  • Mandatory paid union orientations for new employees
  • Right to pool our resources through automatic union dues deductions
  • Right to request and receive information about our working conditions