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

Name*

First NameLast Name

Email*

example@example.com

Phone Number*

Please enter a valid phone number.

Campus*

Appointment Type*

Age

SSAP Job title

RPSP Job title

UC-UAW Bargaining Unit*

How many years have you worked at the UC so far as a staff member?*

If your service years have been interrupted, list the cumulative years worked at UC

How many more years do you plan to continue working in the UC system?*

If you are not sure, please give your current best estimate

Do you have dependents?*

Salary

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)*

UCRP/UC Retirement Plan (primary benefits; either pension or savings choice)Voluntary 403(b) (retirement savings program)Voluntary 457(b) (retirement savings program)Defined Contribution Plan (any additional, voluntary contributions)I’m not sure what I am enrolled in

Which tier of the UCRP are you enrolled in?*

What motivated your decision to enroll in the UCRP Pension Choice? (select all that apply)*

I plan to remain employed with the UC indefinitelyI believe it will lead to a higher returnI think it will allow me to retire soonerIt is a guaranteed income for lifeIt will provide predictable monthly paymentsOther

What motivated your decision to enroll in the UCRP Savings Choice Plan? (select all that apply)*

I prefer to have control over my contribution amountI want to be able to transfer my plan to my next jobI wasn’t planning to stay at UC for five yearsIt seemed like the more financially stable choiceI wanted to have more control over my retirement savings and investments.It seemed like it would lead to higher return over timeOther

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?*

First choice windowSecond choice windowI don't know or cannot remember

For your UCRP Savings Choice enrollment, do you plan to switch instead to the Pension Choice during your second choice window?*

YesNoI'm not sure yetI did not know this was an option

What has motivated your decision to voluntarily contribute to the 403b and/or 457b retirement plan?

If things go according to your current plan, how old will you be when you retire?*

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?*

YesNoMaybe

What is most important to you when considering your choices for retirement benefits at the UC?*

Being able to retire earlierVesting earlierHaving a set amount of money I can rely on each month when I retireThe benefit will continue for a loved one after I dieBeing able to take out a lump sum to make major purchases without a penaltyI will be able to take all my retirement amount with me if I leave UC prior to the five-year vesting periodHaving to contribute less to the plan on a monthly basisHaving control over specific investmentsOther

Have you attended a UC info session on retirement plans (including second choice window selections)?*

YesNo

What did you think about any info session(s) you have attended? Please share what you felt was helpful or not so helpful.

UC-UAW Staff Retirement and Healthcare Benefits Survey

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