The office files of the UPC are divided into sixteen series. Types of materials within the collection include the minutes of the executive board, constitution and bylaws, membership documentation, publications of the UPC and its locals, grievance files, committee records, collective bargaining material, information on the CSUC budget and policies, subject files on salaries, hiring, affirmative action, strikes and pickets material, and information on other academic organizations.

The United Professors of California, a statewide college faculty union, was founded on 13 June 1970 as the result of an alliance between the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Association of California State College Professors (ACSCP). A merger was proposed at a news conference on 29 September 1969 whereby the AFT College Council and ACSCP State Council would be dissolved and a single faculty union, tentatively named the Union of Associated Professors (UAP), would be created in their place, The new organization was renamed the United Professors of California during the course of negotiations. Following a membership vote an interim board composed of representatives of the two councils called for the dissolution of the former organizations in favor of the UPC. AFT locals within the University of California system remained with the UPC until 1971 when they divided to form an autonomous UC Council, leaving CSUC locals with the UPC. UPC representation after 1971 was confined to the California State University College campuses.

Copyright has not been assigned to the Labor Archives & Research Center. All requests for permission to publish or quote from materials must be submitted in writing to the Director of the Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Labor Archives & Research Center as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Collection is open for research.