November 2024 Tentative Agreement
1. Compensation
a. All bargaining unit salary scales shall receive a percentage-based increase in alignment with the provisions of Article 32 of the BR contract and Article 32A and 32B of the BX contract.
b. Percentage-based salary scale increases:
i. 4% wage increase effective October 1, 2025 and the first pay period commencing after October 1st for bi-weekly paid employees.
c. In accordance with BR Article 32 - Wages, Section B.3.b, experience for placement effective October 1, 2025, shall be counted as of June 30, 2025.
2. Transitional Position Pilot Program
a. The University proposes implementation of a system-wide Transitional Position Pilot Program that runs concurrently and expires with the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement.
b. The Transitional Position Pilot Program will be implemented at each location within 90 days of ratification consistent with the requirements below. Graduate student employees who are selected will receive up to one quarter/semester of a transitional position as an ASE or GSR subject to all the terms and conditions of the appropriate collective bargaining agreement and subject to the conditions outlined below:
i. UCLA, UCSD, UCB, UCI, UCD: Up to 6 graduate student employees per year per location will receive a transitional position, with a financial cap of $70,000 per year at each of these locations to fund this program.
ii. UCR, UCM, UCSF, UCSB, UCSC, LBNL: Up to 6 graduate student employees per year per location will receive a transitional position, with a financial cap of $35,000 per year at each of these locations to fund this program.
c. Up to six graduate student employees per year per location will receive a transitional position; i.e., two graduate student employees per quarter or three graduate student employees per semester per campus.
d. The goal of the program is to provide student employees, who have PI-funded appointments, a new transitional position. Graduate student employees are eligible for this program who meet the following criteria:
i. Are in good employment standing, including conduct and performance
ii. Are dependent on their Principal Investigator for employment
iii. Have been with their Principal Investigator for at least three quarters/two semesters (or the equivalent amount of time)
iv. The graduate student employee has made a clear argument, corroborated by the department, that there is an irreparable employment-related conflict in the supervisor-supervisee relationship and that the supervisor relationship is beyond repair for reasons outside of the graduate student employee’s control, or that the graduate student employee’s PI left the University.
v. Has not previously received a transitional position.
e. Graduate student employees will be selected for a transitional position based on an application process established at each location.
f. Depending on the reason for and timing of the transition, the graduate student employee’s original PI may ask the graduate student employee to finish wrapping up work assignments even if the graduate student employee has already transitioned to a new work assignment.
i. In no case will a graduate student employee who receives a transitional position be asked to continue work at their former lab/unit for longer than a period of two weeks.
ii. In no case will wrapping up work assignments cause a graduate student employee to exceed their total allotted FTE per the Time and Effort article.
g. For the duration of the pilot program, the University’s decisions on which applicants to award a Transitional Position are not subject to grievance and arbitration. The Union may grieve allegations of procedural violations up to Step 3 in accordance with the Grievance Articles of the BR/BX contracts. Only an allegation that funds are not allocated even though there are sufficient eligible applicants per term may be taken to arbitration.
h. The University agrees to hold a Joint Labor Management Committee Meeting to discuss the implementation of the Transitional Position Pilot Program with the Union by October 1, 2025.
i. Nothing in this provision waives unit members’ rights under any other provisions of the BX/BR contracts, including Article 21 (Non-Discrimination) of the BX agreement and Article 20 (Non-Discrimination) of the BR agreement.
3. Duration
a. All other terms of the collective bargaining agreement not specifically addressed will remain in place.
b. The agreement will expire on January 1, 2026.
c. The parties agree to begin successor contract negotiations by July 7, 2025.
4. Term
a. Unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, the parties agree that consistent with past practice, the October 1, 2025 salary scale general range adjustment increase is the sole general range adjustment increase for fiscal year 2025-26.
b. Except as otherwise stated in this side letter, any disputes arising from this side letter are subject to the Grievance and Arbitration process as outlined in Article 12 of the BX Contract and Article 11 of the BR Contract.
For the University:
Daniel Menezes
Daniel Menezes
Chief Negotiator
UC Office of the President
For the Union:
Rafael Jaime President UAW 4811