UC-UAW Staff Retirement and Healthcare Benefits Survey

  • UC-UAW Staff Retirement and Healthcare Benefits Survey

  • UC Student Services and Advising Professionals (SSAPs) and Research & Public Service Professionals (RPSPs) are currently bargaining our first contracts with UC administration, which will apply to all ~12,000 workers across our bargaining units.


    The survey will help the elected bargaining team understand the different retirement and healthcare benefits that matter most and why they matter to SSAPs & RPSPs, but does not determine specific bargaining proposals. The results and conversations from the survey will help inform the upcoming proposals that will be a part of the final Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) that all SSAPs & RPSPs will vote to ratify.


    This survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. Some questions may seem more personal in nature, but are important to help contextualize and shape staff bargaining priorities around benefits. The results will be kept confidential, but please provide name and contact information so we can track participation across our bargaining units! 

    A tutorial for accessing information about your current retirement benefits can be found here.

  • Demographic Questions

  • Format: (000) 000-0000.

  • Retirement Benefits

  • The UC has 2 different types of retirement plans: Primary Retirement Benefits & Voluntary Retirement Savings Plans.

    If you need help finding your own retirement information on UCPath, here are instructions.

    Primary Retirement Benefits are required for full-time employees. When hired, staff must choose between 2 plans: the Pension Choice (also known as “UC Retirement Plan/UCRP”), or the Savings Choice (also known as “DC Choice” or "DCP")

    1. Pension Choice (UCRP)

    This option provides a predictable and secure level of lifetime retirement income, based on years of service, age at retirement, and highest average earnings. There are 3 different tiers of the UCRP pension plan, and eligibility depends on when you were hired or rehired.

    • UCRP 2016 Tier (hired on or after July 1, 2016)
    • UCRP 2013 Tier (hired between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2016)
    • UCRP 1976 Tier (hired before July 1, 2013)

    2. Savings Choice (AKA, Defined Contribution Plan, DCP, DC Choice)

    This option is a defined contribution plan with mandatory pretax contributions from you in addition to contributions from UC. As a more traditional 401(k) style account, savings choice participants can roll their benefit over into an IRA or another employer’s retirement plan if they leave UC.

    Savings Choice participants have a window of opportunity to switch from Savings Choice to Pension Choice (“Second Choice Window”).

    Retirement Savings Plans are voluntary and paid into in addition to your mandatory, Primary Retirement Benefits, with a few different options:

    • 403(b) Plan
    • 457(b) Plan
    • Defined Contribution Plan (after-tax voluntary contributions)
  • Which retirement plan(s) are you enrolled in right now? (select all that apply)*
  • Which tier of the UCRP are you enrolled in?*
  • What motivated your decision to enroll in the UCRP Pension Choice? (select all that apply)*
  • What motivated your decision to enroll in the UCRP Savings Choice Plan? (select all that apply)*

  • NOTE: For those enrolled in UCRP 2016 Tier (UC Retirement Choice) Savings Choice plan, there is a "second choice window" that opens 5 years after your initial retirement selection (and is open for 5 years from that point) where you can opt to switch to the Pension Choice. 

  • Did you enroll in the UCRP Pension Choice upon hire or during your second choice window?*
  • For your UCRP Savings Choice enrollment, do you plan to switch instead to the Pension Choice during your second choice window?*
  • If you had the option to retire at 60 years old with the same monthly retirement benefit as you expect to receive at 65 years old, but it required paying an additional 2% of your monthly salary into retirement savings for the duration of your career, would you be interested in that option?*
  • What is most important to you when considering your choices for retirement benefits at the UC?*
  • Have you attended a UC info session on retirement plans (including second choice window selections)?*

  • Dental Benefits

  • Are you enrolled in Delta Dental PPO or Delta Dental HMO?
  • Who is covered on your UC dental plan?
  • How often do you see the dentist in a given year?
  • How do you feel about your current dental insurance plan?
  • What would you say are issues with your current dental plan that you would like to see changed?

  • Healthcare Benefits

  • Which UC health insurance plan are you currently enrolled in?*
  • Who is covered by your health insurance plan?*
  • What are your main reasons for enrolling in the health insurance plan you currently have? (select all that apply)*
  • Do you and/or your family members utilize UC health insurance to access therapy or other mental or behavioral health services?
  • Which insurance do you use for mental health services? (select all that apply)
  • Have any of these issues gotten in the way of you and/or your family members' ability to access mental health services? (select all that apply)

  • If you have questions about the bargaining process, negotiating benefits, or what your benefits currently are, get connected to another SSAP or RPSP on your campus who is a member of the Contract Action Team (CAT). Schedule here with Calendly!

  • Should be Empty: