The union representing California state mental health nurses has reached a new contract agreement that includes an 8.25 percent raise over three years, the union announced Wednesday.

The California Association of Psychiatric Technicians struck the deal with negotiators from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration about 3:00 a.m. Friday, following six months of bargaining, according to a news release from the union.

The union represents about 6,000 workers who care for mentally ill and developmentally disabled people at state hospitals, prisons and developmental centers.

Eric Soto, the union’s president, said negotiators faced no specific deadline Friday, but both sides recognized they were close to a conclusion after chipping away for the last half-year.

“I think both sides recognized there was a deal to be made,” Soto said. “So we strapped up our laces and just went at it.”

The union was one of six at the state with an expired contract this year, and the only one that didn’t reach a new agreement with Newsom’s administration before the Legislature adjourned in October.

The tentative agreement requires ratification from union members and approval from the Legislature before workers can receive their raises.

The first part of the raise is a 2.75 percent raise effective in January; the second raise comes July 1 and the third comes July 1, 2022 under the proposed agreement.

Workers who have been at the top step of their salary ranges for 12 months will receive an additional 2.5 percent raise one month after the contract’s ratification, according to the release.

About half of the 6,000 workers will be eligible for special salary increases that would give them additional raises of 2.5 percent, depending on their classification, Soto said.

The deal included a scheduled decline in the number of mandatory overtime shifts employees have to work. Starting in 2021, the number of extra shifts will be limited to four per month, he said. The union has said the extra eight-hour shifts, which often come just after a worker finishes a full shift, threaten safety of workers and patients.

The union is pursuing further reductions through legislation.

The state will continue paying 80 percent of health care premiums, according to the release.

A psychiatric technician served as chief negotiator for the union, according to the release.

“While these past six months have been challenging, we are proud of what we accomplished,” chief negotiator Ann Lyles said in the release. “The agreement recognizes the hard work of state-employed (CAPT) members and demonstrates that when the rank-and-file come together as a union, and as a bargaining team, great things can happen.”

CalHR had not yet posted a summary of the agreement to its website Wednesday morning.

This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Late night contract talks net 8 percent raise for California state hospital, prison workers."