AFSCME reaches tentative agreement with the UC, calls off strike
May 14, 2026 at 12:46 pm
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 called off their open-ended strike after it reached a tentative agreement with the University of California late Wednesday night.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 represents over 40,000 service and technical workers across the UC. It announced an open-ended strike to begin on May 14 after filing two Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs) against the UC over its “unlawful imposition of healthcare increases” and “refusal to bargain over [AFSCME] housing benefits.”
As of Wednesday night, AFSCME has reached a tentative agreement that includes annual wage increases and an increase in minimum wage to $26.50 in 2026 and a projected increase to $30.10 by April 2029. The agreement also includes new, more “affordable” healthcare rates with 7.5% caps for Kaiser Permanente and 5% caps for Blue & Gold.
Union members will vote on the agreement from May 19-21, with the AFSCME bargaining team unanimously recommending a “yes” vote. If ratified, the contract will expire on Nov. 30, 2029.
