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After two years of haggling, strikes and frustration, the University of California has finally come to an agreement with its clerical employees.

The Coalition of University Employees informed the UC Wednesday night its members had voted to accept a contract proposed by a state mediator, pending final approval by both parties.

“We are pleased that we are able to conclude these negotiations,” said UC press aide Paul Schwartz.

Wednesday was the last day for the union to announce its decision. If the union rejected the offer, both sides would have had to decide whether or not to declare impasse.

Union members accepted the offer by a 1,557-831 vote. About one-third of CUEs 18,000 members pay dues and are eligible to cast ballots.

The final contract falls well short of CUE’s demands for a 15 percent increase in pay. Though the union accepted a 3.5 percent pay increase over two years, CUE president Claudia Horning expressed her disappointment with the figure.

“This does not mean that UC clericals are satisfied with the wage component. ... People just want to sign off on this contract and take advantage of other language gains we’ve made through bargaining,” she stated.

The wage offer is the same as in a November 2002 proposal that CUE rejected. UC officials have repeatedly insisted financial constraints related to the state budget crisis prevent the UC from offering more.

“We believe this agreement is a fair and balanced compromise,” stated Judith Boyette, associate vice president for human resources and benefits.

Horning stated she believes the UC can afford to pay its employees more, but that all unions representing university employees would have to work together to obtain bigger offers.

Contract negotiations have been ongoing since May 2001, and the parties traveled a bumpy road toward their agreement.

CUE went on strike last August at UC Berkeley and at the UC Office of the President in Oakland to protest alleged unfair bargaining practices committed by the UC. The university replied by alleging the union’s strike violated labor laws.

The new contract is scheduled to expire in September 2004. The university has also had difficulty reaching an accord with the union representing UC lecturers – no agreement has been made after over three years of talks.