UPDATED MAY 13, 2026
Now that our collective bargaining agreement is official, we have the following planned payment schedule from payroll:
- Our July 2025 raises and January 2026 step increases will go into effect starting May 15, 2026 (next pay period). Those increases will be reflected in the June 12 check.
- All the retroactive payments from the July 2025 raise and the January 2026 step increase will be in the July 10 check.
- Our next 2.5% general wage increase will go into effect July 10, 2026. That raise will be in our August 7 checks.
Monday, Gov. Lamont signed the measure approving a package of ratified state employee contracts — including UHP’s — after votes of 26-10 in the Senate and 107-42 in the House.
Our new contract is retroactive to July 1, 2025, and running through June 30, 2029.
These final approvals come one month after our membership ratified the collective bargaining agreement by a margin of greater than 19 to 1.
We (and our employer) have to sign the contract, at a time to be determined. Printed contract books will be available to members later in the year.
The contract includes both a 2.5% general wage increase (GWI) and a step increase in each of the first three years. The first GWI is retroactive to July 2025, and the first step is retroactive to January 2026. Those at the top step will receive a $1,200 lump-sum payment.
Other highlights include protection of important language on personal time and job security.
Nearly half the total membership — 1,580 members — took part in the online vote March 25-27, with 1,513 members, or 95.8%, voting yes.
“I just want to thank the negotiations team for their commitment and dedication to achieving a contract, and thank you to the membership for staying informed and voting to ratify,” says 1st VP for Collective Bargaining Shawn Brown, who chaired the negotiating committee. “Everyone involved dedicated their time and energy to fight for the many benefits all our members have, and although we didn’t ‘win’ everything we wanted, this contract was a win, and now we continue the fight.”
Next steps are for the UConn Health Board of Directors to approve the contract, followed by a vote in both houses of the Connecticut General Assembly, likely sometime in April.
Once all approvals are in place, we’ll have a better sense of when the retroactive raises will show up in our paychecks. Also to come are an updated pay grid to reflect the raises, and the creation of the actual contract book. Both will be accessible on our website once available, and at some point after that we’ll have printed copies of the contract in book form.
Special thanks to Meg Bartos and Michelle Proper for facilitating the ratification vote, and to our chief negotiator and AFT CT field rep, Emily Demicco!