The UPTE Difference
Already part of a represented title and want to become an UPTE member? Join us here.
Unsure whether your title is represented and want to start the process of joining UPTE? Get started here.
“UPTE contracts are the result of 30 years of career healthcare, research, and technical professionals standing together to advocate for ourselves, our patients, research, and students. We have protected benefits that UC has consistently stripped from non-union workers on everything from retirement to job security. Our members also come together in their workplaces to advocate for improvements and push back on bad ideas from management.
Join UPTE today to enjoy these benefits and help us build even more power.”
UPTE President
UPTE Chief Negotiator
Business Technical Support Analyst, UC Berkeley
Dan Russell
Please find a downloadable version of this information for healthcare workers here, researchers here, and IT workers here.
| UPTE Contract at UC | Non-union workers at UC | |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Pay | 29 - 32% in raises & step increases from 2019 - 2024 Daily overtime after 8 hours of work and double-time after 12 hours of work Rights to additional pay increases for internal and market equity |
19% in raises* No step increases No daily overtime *On average—some workers received less due to subjective performance reviews |
| Pension | Begin retirement at 50 and maximize benefits at 60 Changes must be negotiated |
Begin retirement at 55 and maximize benefits at 65 if hired after July 2013 Changes can be made at any time under management's discretion |
| Healthcare | A $25 annual cap on monthly premium increases for Health Net Blue & Gold and Kaiser plans, meaning up to $225 monthly savings | No limit on healthcare premiums—changes can be made any time under management’s discretion |
| Job Security | Seniority rights and up to 3 years of preferential recall and rehire rights in case of layoff Jobs cannot be replaced by contractors Just cause protections against unfair corrective action |
No guarantees—management’s discretion No protection from subcontracting or unfair discipline |
| A voice at work | A powerful, collective voice to advocate for ourselves on workplace and profession-specific issues | No voice and none of the guaranteed rights, protections, or benefits negotiated by a union |
Defeating UC’s Two-Tier Pension Scheme
In 2013 and 2017 contract negotiations, UC attempted to divide our union by raising the retirement age by 5 years and capping pensionable income for new hires.
UPTE members fought alongside AFSCME Local 3299 and the California Nurses Association, successfully keeping all of our members on the same pension tier in exchange for an additional 1% employee pension contribution. Thanks to this win, thousands of members hired since 2013 have maintained the ability to maximize their retirement benefits at age 60 instead of 65.
Keeping our union united around the same pension benefits also allowed us to win the highest wage increases in our history in our 2019-2024 contracts, more than offsetting the additional pension contribution!