Union health care workers and graduate students will receive 3% base pay increases in each of the next two years under collective bargaining agreements approved by the Iowa Board of Regents.
Both agreements, which were officially approved Thursday, April 23 in Ames, also provide for at a minimum, a 3% increase for returning union members on July 1 of this year and July 1, 2026.
The collective bargaining agreements for the University of Iowa’s Campaign to Organize Graduate Students, COGS, and UI Health Care’s SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa unions will last two years, through June 30, 2027.
COGS and SEIU members both voted to ratify the tentative agreements, according to Regent documents.
The Regents’ three-person Governance, Evaluation and Human Resources committee, chaired by full board Chair Sherry Bates, recommended approval of the agreements without question on Wednesday, April 23.
Eight of the nine Regents officially approved the agreements on Thursday, April 24, with Christine Hensley abstaining.
COGS agreement is less than suggested amount
COGS members rallied in January for a 25% wage increase, which they said would put UI graduate students in line with the Big Ten average.
They will instead get yearly 3% increases through June 2027.
“We were, of course, hoping for more in the collective bargaining agreement, and will continue to push for more support for graduate workers, but nevertheless voted to accept the 6% over two-year stipend increase that was offered and recently signed,” COGS Press and Publicity Chair Greg Wickenkamp told the Press-Citizen.
According to COGS, UI grad student workers are currently paid the 16th lowest wage of the 18 Big Ten schools, only ahead of Nebraska and Purdue. COGS said a 3% wage increase was “woefully inadequate” in 2023.
SEIU union also pushed for bigger wage hike
The SEIU union held several events as negotiations began in February, with members voicing displeasure over a proposed 3% wage increase.
Several health care workers rallied outside the UI hospital in late February.
The healthcare union initially proposed a 14% wage increase in the next year and a 12% hike in 2026 for new and returning staff. The group adjusted its request a few weeks later, suggesting an immediate 11.5% increase and 7% in 2026.
SEIU union officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on April 24.
The SEIU union represents more than 4,000 employees in the University of Iowa Health Care system.
(This article has been updated to add new information.)
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached atrhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
