Four strikes and a year and a half of negotiations later, the union representing 21,000 healthcare, research, and technical professionals across the University of California system — including around 400 employees at UC Santa Barbara — has ratified a new labor contract.
UPTE-CWA 9119 announced Thursday that 98 percent of voting members approved the agreement which UPTE leadership called a historic win for its members. The deal follows months of escalating labor actions, including UPTE’s largest-ever strikes, and went into effect immediately following the vote.
“This agreement reflects the collective strength of workers organizing to hold UC accountable to its mission as a world-class research, educational, and healthcare institution,” said Dan Russell, UPTE president and IT professional at UC Berkeley, in a press release…