Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The University of California and striking academic workers have agreed to third-party mediation in a high-stakes labor dispute that has been ongoing for nearly a month.
Both sides in the labor dispute announced Friday they agreed to arbitration.
"Our goal has always been to make UC a more just, equitable place to work -- a place where everyone, not just those with independent or generational wealth, can participate," United Auto Workers bargaining team member Tarini Hardikar said in a statement.
"We look forward to working with a professional mediator to resolve the issues still on the table. Until then, we remain on strike."
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"The University is pleased that the UAW has agreed to neutral private mediation so that we may resolve our differences and end the strike that has been impacting our students, faculty, and staff," UC labor relations director Letitia Silas said.
"We remain committed to securing a fair and reasonable contract with the union that honors the hard work of our valued graduate student employees. With the help of a neutral mediator, we hope to secure that agreement quickly."
Tens of thousands of academic workers within the University of California system have been engaged in a collective labor action since Nov. 14. They are demanding higher pay, public transport passes, better child care benefits and increased annual raises.
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, however, noted there have been more than 60 bargaining sessions since the strike began on Nov. 14.
Administrators say 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."
"The proposals offered by the University to the UAW would place UC graduate student employees squarely among or above the most highly compensated student employees at any public research university in the nation," administrators asserted.
