UC averts systemwide strike with four-year deal for 21,000 technical and health workers

On the Monday before Thanksgiving, operating rooms at University of California medical centers were full, lab benches were staffed and appointments went ahead as scheduled.

That was not how the day was supposed to look.

For weeks, the union representing about 21,000 technical and health care workers had been preparing to walk off the job Nov. 17 and 18, joined in solidarity by tens of thousands of custodians, food service workers and nurses. Union leaders billed it as potentially the largest strike in the UC system’s history.

Instead, after 17 months of bargaining and three weeks of mediation, UC and University Professional and Technical Employees‑CWA Local 9119 quietly reached a four‑year agreement on Nov. 8. The deal, later ratified by an overwhelming margin, averted a systemwide disruption at one of California’s most important public institutions — and reset pay and benefits for a largely invisible workforce that powers UC’s hospitals and research labs.

In a joint statement announcing the breakthrough, the university and the union said they had “reached a contractual agreement” following UPTE’s request to resume mediation. UPTE immediately canceled its planned strike.

“Our members stood together through 17 months of bargaining and seven days on strike to win a contract that begins to address the staffing and retention crisis at UC,” UPTE President Dan Russell said in a message to members. He called the deal a “hard‑won victory” for technical and professional staff who “are the strong foundation of UC’s health care, research and education.”

The agreement, covering the period 2025 through 2028, applies to UPTE‑represented employees at all 10 UC campuses, five medical centers and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Pay increases and a $25 hourly floor

Under the contract, most union members will receive a series of combined step and across‑the‑board increases that add up to at least 8% in 2025, 7% in 2026 and 6% in both 2027 and 2028. The deal also establishes a systemwide wage floor of $25 an hour for all UPTE job titles, a notable benchmark in a state where public‑sector employees in high‑cost regions often struggle with housing and commuting costs.

UC officials said the contract provides “meaningful, multi‑year wage increases” while balancing the university’s finances.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that recognizes the vital contributions of our professional and technical employees and supports the University of California’s mission, while maintaining our commitment to financial sustainability,” the UC Office of the President said in a statement on its labor relations website.

The raises for UPTE members are structured differently from a separate agreement UC reached with the California Nurses Association, which the university has promoted as providing 27% wage increases for nurses over four years. Some early reports incorrectly attributed that 27% figure to the UPTE deal as well.

For UPTE, the wage gains combine several elements. In 2025, eligible employees receive at least a 2% step increase in January. In July, they receive a 5% across‑the‑board raise or are brought up to the new $25 hourly minimum, whichever is higher. On top of that, all job titles receive at least a 1% equity increase, retroactive to shortly after ratification. Similar combinations of step and across‑the‑board raises follow in the remaining years of the contract, and workers at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab receive slightly different across‑the‑board percentages.

Benefits, leave and workplace rules

Beyond pay, the agreement makes several changes to benefits and working conditions that unions had framed as critical to recruitment and retention.

Health insurance

UC committed to subsidize its Blue & Gold HMO and some Kaiser plans so that premiums for most UPTE members in 2026 remain at or near 2024 levels. The contract sets caps on how much employees’ premiums can rise in 2027 and 2028, giving workers more predictability in out‑of‑pocket costs as medical prices and inflation continue to climb.

Leave and holidays

Birth parents in UPTE units will be eligible for up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave, aligning them more closely with some nurse classifications that previously had access to extended leave.

Members also gained additional time off through a new floating holiday and a union‑specific UPTE floating holiday to be rolled out within 120 days of ratification. César Chávez Day remains available as a floating holiday for certain health care titles. Exempt employees who work at least an eight‑hour shift on a holiday will receive full holiday pay, addressing long‑standing complaints from some salaried staff.

Remote work, vacation and layoffs

The contract requires at least 30 days’ notice for changes to remote or hybrid work schedules, a response to post‑pandemic disputes over telecommuting. It establishes clearer rules for vacation denials, including a window in which employees can reschedule time off after a request is rejected.

On layoffs, the agreement spells out an “alternatives to layoffs” process, obligating departments to consider options such as transfers into open positions before cutting staff. Preferential rehire rights are extended across campuses, and recall rights in the health care unit are lengthened to three years.

Reclassification and union access

Career advancement processes are also revamped. UC must act on reclassification requests within 90 days, and departments are required to use defined criteria to evaluate whether employees’ duties match their job titles. A new appeals panel, staffed by compensation officials outside the workers’ home departments, will have authority to issue binding decisions.

The union also secured additional rights inside the workplace, including a guarantee of at least one steward for every 100 workers and paid time during orientation for the union to meet with new hires.

How the strike threat faded

For UC, the agreement caps a tense bargaining cycle that began in June 2024. Over the following year and a half, negotiations repeatedly stalled. In September 2025, UC declared a “last, best and final offer,” arguing it had put forward a package of four‑year raises and a $25 hourly minimum that was “fair and fiscally responsible.” UPTE rejected the proposal and moved toward a strike.

By late October, labor unrest at UC was intensifying. UPTE set Nov. 17 and 18 as strike dates across campuses and medical centers, citing what it called a “crisis” in recruitment and retention. AFSCME Local 3299, which represents roughly 40,000 service and patient‑care technical workers such as custodians and nursing assistants, and the California Nurses Association, representing about 24,000 to 25,000 nurses, announced plans to join UPTE on the picket lines.

UC officials publicly criticized the planned walkout, calling it “unnecessary” and saying it would cause significant disruption to patients and students. In the end, the last‑minute settlement with UPTE prompted the union to call off its strike. CNA later reached its own four‑year tentative agreement with UC on Nov. 16 and also canceled its participation, while AFSCME proceeded with a two‑day walkout.

Budget pressure vs. staffing pressure

The episode highlighted both the growing clout of unions within the university system and the financial pressures UC says it faces.

UC leaders have warned repeatedly of “significant financial uncertainty,” pointing to state budget strains, rising costs and hiring freezes at several campuses. They argue that wage and benefit increases must be weighed against impacts on academic programs, capital projects and, potentially, tuition and fees.

Union leaders counter that years of stagnant pay for frontline staff in high‑cost regions have already taken a toll, driving up turnover in critical roles. They point to workers who commute long distances from more affordable areas or leave for private hospitals and tech companies, straining departments responsible for everything from trauma care to pandemic surveillance.

Technical and professional staff represented by UPTE include clinical laboratory scientists who process diagnostic tests, radiologic technologists who operate imaging equipment, pharmacists, behavioral health specialists, information technology staff and research associates. Many work out of public view but play central roles in UC’s hospitals, clinics and laboratories, including specialized sites such as the avian influenza lab at UC Davis that monitors outbreaks with implications for public health and agriculture.

What comes next

The new contract was ratified Nov. 21, with nearly 12,000 UPTE members casting ballots and 98% voting in favor, according to the union. Implementation of some provisions, such as equity adjustments and lump‑sum payments, is scheduled within 120 days of approval.

Not all details of the agreement are public. Summaries released by the union and the university do not spell out explicit limits on mandatory overtime, an issue some health care workers have raised in past contract fights. How strictly departments adhere to new scheduling rules, reclassification timelines and layoff alternatives remains to be seen, particularly in units already facing staffing shortages.

Labor experts say the deal is likely to serve as a reference point in other negotiations at UC and in California’s broader public sector, especially the $25 hourly minimum and caps on health insurance premiums. Teamsters Local 2010, which represents clerical and allied services employees, and unions representing medical residents and other staff are in various stages of bargaining with the university.

For now, UC has bought four years of labor peace with one key group of workers whose jobs are central to its health and research missions. Whether the new wage floor and benefits will be enough to stabilize staffing — and how the university will absorb the costs amid a tight budget — will shape the next chapter of labor relations at California’s flagship public university system.