The University of California has announced it is offering more than $7.8 million in total raises to about 36,000 of its lower-paid non-student employees.
The proposed increases affect employees with annual salaries of less than $40,000 and are due to take effect April 1, according to the UC Office of the President.
UC officials said the increases are in recognition of the impact of California's high cost of living on employees, especially lower-paid staff, and are part of UC's ongoing efforts to provide competitive total compensation for all university employees.
Of the 36,000 employees covered by the proposal, about 32,000 are represented by unions. Wage increases for these employees require the consent of their respective union.
The roughly 4,000 non-represented non-student employees covered by this proposal will automatically receive their increases as follows:
* Employees earning less than $30,000 per year would receive a 2 percent salary increase;
* Employees earning $30,000 or more but less than $35,000 per year would receive a 1 percent salary increase;
* Employees earning $35,000 or more but less than $40,000 per year would receive a 0.5 percent salary increase.
Increases apply to non-represented non-student academic employees at each UC campus and medical center except for student academic employees, interns and residents, non-students in student academic titles and postdoctoral scholars. Increases for employees at the UC-managed laboratories are subject to discussion and agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Regarding increases for the 32,000 UC employees represented by unions, UC recently reached an agreement with the Coalition of University Employees union resulting in wage increases totaling $2.7 million for approximately 11,800 clerical staff. Read more on the
UCOP website.
UC is attempting to reach similar agreements regarding increases for lower-paid service and patient care technical employees represented by the American Federation of Federal, State and County Employees and technical and research support professional employees represented by the University Professional and Technical Employees union.
The proposed increases are in addition to those already given (or expected under collective bargaining agreements).
This is not the first time UC has taken special measures to give additional financial support to its lower-paid staff. In 2000, UC sought and received an additional $19 million in state funding to boost employee salaries, the majority of which went to employees earning $40,000 or less.
In 2002, as it had done several times previously, UC gave eligible employees additional retirement funds to help mitigate disappointing salary increases due to limited state funding.
UC has also taken steps to help shield lower-paid employees from skyrocketing health insurance premiums by adopting a salary-based approach to health insurance thereby resulting in lower monthly premiums for lower-paid employees.
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