UC & Lecturers reach tentative agreement on four-year contract

February 9, 2016

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The University of California and the American Federation of Teachers have reached a tentative agreement that provides annual wage increases for UC’s more than 3,000 lecturers and enhanced opportunities for lecturers with less than six years of service to obtain greater job security.

Both sides demonstrated flexibility and a willingness to compromise in recent months, as they worked to resolve differences and finalize a contract.

“We are pleased to have a new contract with this important group that is central to the university’s higher education mission" said Dwaine B. Duckett, UC’s vice president of human resources. “This is how the bargaining process is supposed to work, with good faith and compromise.”

Members of the union will vote on the tentative agreement within the next few weeks.

The four-year tentative agreement includes:

  • Wages: 11.2 percent increase over four years. In fiscal year 2019-2020, the final year of the contract, lecturers would receive the same increase given to non-represented academic employees. Certain lecturers will also continue to participate in the lecturer review process where they may earn performance-based increases. 
  • Health benefits: The same quality health benefits as the general UC employee population. Lecturers who are not employed during the summer will continue to have uninterrupted access to UC health benefits.
  • Retirement benefits for future employees: Lecturers hired on or after July 1, 2016 will have the same retirement benefits as Senate faculty. These benefits are currently under development.