Univ. of Calif., striking academic workers reach tentative agreement 

The University of California announced the tentative agreement with striking academic workers includes "multiyear pay increases." File Photo by Coolcaesar/Wikimedia Commons

Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The University of California says it has reached a tentative labor agreement with 48,000 student researchers and other workers, potentially ending the biggest academic strike in U.S. history.

The school announced Friday it has struck a tentative deal with the United Auto Workers to end the 32-day work stoppage. Under its terms, 17,000 UC graduate student researchers would get minimum salary scales for the first time.

The agreement also entitles the student workers multiyear pay increases, paid dependent access to UC health care and enhanced paid family leave, school officials said.

If approved, the contracts will be effective through May 31, 2025. Members will vote on ratifying the agreements next week.

The sides agreed to enter into private mediation last week conducted by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

University of California President Michael Drake thanked Steinberg and negotiators for both sides for "coming together in a spirit of compromise to reach this tentative agreement. This is a positive step forward for the University and for our students, and I am grateful for the progress we have made together."

"These tentative agreements include major pay increases and expanded benefits which will improve the quality of life for all members of the bargaining unit," UAW President Ray Curry said in a statement

"Our members stood up to show the university that academic workers are vital to UC's success. They deserve nothing less than a contract that reflects the important role they play and the reality of working in cities with extremely high costs of living."

The UAW said the UC graduate researchers' vote to unionize last year was "a huge boost for the growing academic worker movement, which has gained steam in recent years," joining similar recent moves by students at Harvard, Columbia and the University of Washington.

The UC workers have been on strike since Nov. 14, demanding higher pay, public transport passes, better child care benefits and increased annual raise

Union members have accused the university system of taking "a wide range of unlawful actions" since negotiations began early last year and authorized the strike in response to what they characterized as unfair labor practices in negotiations.

University officials said last month they have offered the UAW "generous proposals" that would raise salaries for all graduate student employees by 12.5% to 48.4% over three years, as well as "increased child care reimbursements, campus fee remissions and other benefits."