LOS ANGELES, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The University of California (UC) and its largest employee union reached a tentative contract agreement early Thursday morning, averting an unprecedented open-ended strike that had been set to paralyze campuses and medical centers across the state.
"WE WON! Strike is off!" enthused members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, the labor union representing the UC workers.
The deal between the university system and AFSCME Local 3299 came after more than two years of head-butting negotiations and five previous short-term strikes. The agreement covers nearly 40,000 service and patient care workers who had planned to walk off the job indefinitely starting at dawn on Thursday.
Under the terms of the five-year agreement, which must still be ratified by union members, the university committed to significant wage increases and new housing support. Key terms include a 1,500-U.S.-dollar ratification bonus for career employees and a tiered series of annual raises.
"We're glad to have reached an agreement with AFSCME that recognizes the important work these employees do every day across UC's campuses and health centers," said Missy Matella, UC's associate vice president for systemwide employee and labor relations, in a statement.
"This contract delivers meaningful pay increases and addresses some of the real affordability pressures our employees are facing, while allowing us to move forward together focused on UC's mission of patient care, teaching and research," Matella concluded.
For the union, the deal represents a "historic win" following a campaign that highlighted workers sleeping in cars or commuting hours to reach jobs at high-cost hubs like UCLA and UC San Francisco. In addition to wage gains, the union secured new layoff protections, increased shift differentials, and the addition of a floating personal holiday.
"After over two years of fighting UC and refusing to give up, our team reached a tentative agreement with UC, setting the highest standards at UC," AFSCME Local 3299 President Michael Avant said in a statement to members. "Our campaign forced UC to invest in the long-term security of its frontline workers."
The strike would have been the first indefinite work stoppage in the history of the UC health system. To mitigate the impact on patients, the union had organized a "patient protection task force" to assist in emergencies, but hospital administrators had expressed grave concerns about maintaining operations during the strike.
The UC system, which includes 10 campuses and six academic medical centers, is one of the state's largest employers. The labor dispute had drawn significant political attention, with union leaders successfully gathering 1.3 million signatures for a separate ballot initiative regarding housing loans for frontline workers.
Ratification votes are expected to take place across the state between May 19 and 21. If approved, the contract will run through Nov. 30, 2029.
