Contract expected to be ratified in coming weeks
The UC and the UPTE-CWA 9119 union have reached a contract agreement after months of stalled negotiations.
The successful contract, which was announced on July 28 and lasts until 2024, comes on the heels of multiple worker strikes across the UC system. Workers had been advocating for higher wages among other changes to workplace benefits and conditions. The UC expects UPTE-CWA 9119 union members to ratify the contract in a vote in the coming weeks.
Hailing this development as a victory, UPTE-CWA 9119 stated that three classes of workers fall under this contract: those in the Healthcare (HX), Research (RX) and Technical (TX) Professionals Units.
“We are proud that this agreement contains only improvements and that we did not give up anything compared to our previous contract!” UPTE said in a statement. “This contract would not have been possible without your hard work and sacrifice and that of thousands of UPTE members who struck for the first time.”
The UC and the union both shared information on contract specifics, such as wage increases, healthcare costs and pension terms. For example, workers will see wage increases of 20% and 22%, depending on the type of employee unit, according to the UC.
Additionally, according to the UC’s summary of the contract, UPTE workers will be prohibited from striking again throughout the duration of the contract.
Written by: Kenton Goldsby — campus@theaggie.org
