UC and AFSCME reach deal, avert strike at medical centers

The University of California announced it has reached tentative agreement with its largest union on Sunday morning, averting a five-day strike that would have occurred this week.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees 3299 union, which represents about 13,000 UC patient care workers, and the University have been stuck in difficult collective bargaining negotiations for patient care workers for almost two years. They have disagreed over issues such as pension, health care, staffing levels, wages and alleged unfair labor practices.

The two parties reached Sunday’s last-minute deal the day before the union was set to begin a five-day strike at the UC’s medical centers this week. The University has said such a strike costs the UC $10 million a day.

“There was true compromise by both sides to reach this agreement,” said Dwaine Duckett, UC vice president of human resources, in a statement. “This ends nearly two years of very challenging negotiations and serves as a foundation for UC and AFSCME to build on going forward.”

AFSCME has said it was going on strike not because of its ongoing negotiations with the University, but to protest alleged unfair labor practices committed by the UC. On Sunday, the University announced that their tentative agreement has led the union to call off its strike.

“Moving forward, Local 3299 will continue working with University administrators to enforce and build on the recent agreements we have secured both for service and patient care workers,” said AFSCME 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger in a statement. “While we don’t expect to always agree, we hope UC will join us in working to begin a new era of cooperation.”

The tentative agreement, which AFSCME’s patient care workers will vote on to officially approve, includes a total of 24.5 percent in wage increases over four years, a contract ratification bonus, a freeze on health care rates for lower-salaried employees, measures to improve job security for employees and a pension formula similar to the one for unionized nurses.

This is the second time this year that AFSCME has threatened a strike, then the two parties reach a last-minute agreement. AFSCME threatened a five-day strike for its about 8,000 service workers last month, until the University reached tentative agreement with the union days before the strike was supposed to start.

AFSCME’s strike would have been the third it has held in the past year.

Compiled by Kristen Taketa, Bruin senior staff.