University of California lecturers call off strike, reach contract with paid leave, bonuses

University of California lecturers called off a strike early Wednesday morning after union representatives said they reached a tentative agreement with the university administration over long-standing disputes.

The UC system has more than 6,000 lecturers who are nontenured and often subject to higher rates of turnover. The group is represented by the American Federation of Teachers, which for more than two years has been in negotiations with the administration for higher pay and better job security.

Union members at nine UC campuses, including UC Davis and UC Merced, had planned to cancel classes on Wednesday and Thursday in response to the administration’s “unfair labor practices.” UC-AFT claimed the university refused to bargain in good faith over paid parental leave, among other things.

The contract agreement reached Wednesday morning now grants the right to a fully paid family leave of four weeks and the right to return to work with the same protections as federal or state family medical leave.

“Management’s refusal to bargain this policy was the basis calling the Unfair Practice Strike,” UC-AFT said in a release. “Our willingness to take action resulted in management coming to the table with a proposal that fits our bargaining unit.”

The university’s chief negotiator, Nadine Fishel, said the agreement reflects the university’s “good-faith bargaining effort over the past two and a half years of negotiations.”

The contract agreement “revolutionizes” the first six years of a lecturer’s career at UC, the union said. Unlike the current system, which grants lecturers single-year contracts for the first six years, each contract following the first year is a multi-year appointment.

Under the new contract, lecturers will also receive a $1,500 signing bonus and their salaries will be subject to a regular pay increase schedule, starting with a 7% general range adjustment on Jan. 1.

“The University is proud of the dedication and commitment to harmonious labor relations both sides demonstrated to achieve a fair deal that honors our lecturers and prioritizes the University’s instructional mission,” said Letitia Silas, the administration’s executive director of systemwide labor relations.

Classes will resume as schedule on Wednesday and Thursday. While lecturers will not be walking the picket line, they will gather for celebratory rallies at noon.

This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 7:55 AM with the headline "University of California lecturers call off strike, reach contract with paid leave, bonuses."