On Feb. 9 and Feb. 11, CalArts and CU-UAW met for additional special sessions to discuss this year’s annual changes to healthcare benefits for the April 2026 to March 2027 cycle.
As context, these were the third and fourth sessions conducted to discuss the topic. Today (Feb. 11) was the last day for the parties to attempt to reach agreement in order to allow sufficient time for employee communications, plan finalization, and back-end administration—so open enrollment can run smoothly and coverage can begin April 1.
CU-UAW offered a counterproposal today to CalArts’ original proposal at the first session, which included placing employees in two tiers, Tier A (those making $150,000 or less) and Tier B (those making over $150,000). CU-UAW’s kept the Imagine360 Legacy Plan (formerly Core) with lower premium increases—a plan that has $0 in deductibles and copays. CalArts explained once again why placing the lower premiums on that plan is not financially responsible and would result in increasing too greatly the structural financial deficit of the institution.
CalArts countered UAW’s proposal, providing its last, best, and final offer, moving its Tiers as follows: (1) Tier 1 – those making $75,000 or less, (2) Tier 2 – those making between $75,001 to $125,000, (3) Tier 3 – those making between $125,001 to $200,000, and (4) Tier 4 – those making $200,001 and above, with its current plan design proposals. This change would move about 88% of CalArts’ benefits-eligible employees into Tier 1 or Tier 2, where employees pay a much smaller share of healthcare premiums for the Imagine360 1000 Plan—about 12.8% to 19.6%—meaning CalArts covers roughly 87% to 80%. Most employees are expected to migrate to this plan, and it is expected to become the primary option employees elect.
CalArts also offered to increase its contribution for the HSA plan from $500 to $1,000 for individuals and from $1,000 to $2,000 for families.
CU-UAW rejected this offer, and CalArts declared impasse, with the deadline described above requiring it to move to implementation today (Feb. 11), in order to make open enrollment and the plans commencing by April 1 possible.
Ultimately, CalArts reiterated its position from the beginning that annual changes to the healthcare plans are part of the status quo. CalArts re-evaluates and changes its healthcare benefits each year in response to the insurance providers changing aspects of the plans that can be offered and any accompanying costs. In the past five years alone, there have been many changes including changing insurance providers, providing entirely new plan designs, increasing premiums, etc. Nevertheless, CalArts was willing to discuss the changes with CU-UAW, receive CU-UAW’s counterproposal, provide a counterproposal to CU-UAW that incorporated changes, and was hopeful the parties could reach agreement.
CU-UAW also proposed an emergency healthcare fund, which CalArts stated there was more time to fully consider and discuss.