The National Union of Healthcare Workers ended an open-ended strike June 30 at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland (Calif.) and its satellite clinics, according to a union news release shared with Becker’s. The decision came after U.S. Chief District Judge Richard Seeborg denied their request for an injunction to stop the planned integration of the hospital with San Francisco-based UCSF Health.
Although the strike is ending, the union will continue legal efforts to reverse the integration plan set to take effect in early July, according to NUHW.
The union said it now seeks to compel arbitration over whether the plan violates its contracts with the hospital. That hearing is scheduled for July 17 before Mr. Seeborg, who issued an 11-page ruling June 27 denying the temporary injunction. The union said it is also pursuing injunctive relief through the National Labor Relations Board.
“Our strike is over, but our fight is still going on,” Willie Williams, an orthopedic technician at the hospital, said in the NUHW release. “We’re proud that we have taken this stand for each other and for the care that we provide East Bay kids. We know that what UCSF is proposing will push out long-tenured caregivers, and we’re still determined to reverse it.”
UCSF Health praised the judge’s decision while also pointing to the integration’s goal of delivering even better care for children in the area.
“Achieving that goal requires unifying our workforce and systems — including the transition to UCSF employment, where represented employees will be part of the same large public-sector unions that represent workers across the University of California,” the health system said in a statement shared with Becker’s.
Children’s Hospital Oakland first affiliated with UCSF in 2014, and the integration plan was announced in January 2025. It calls for the transition of Oakland staff to University of California employment.
Both sides have been at odds over the plan.
UCSF Health argues that the transition will improve care for patients and families, “who should not have to navigate two separate systems to get the services their children need.” The health system also argues that it “will provide employees with significantly expanded benefits and career opportunities” and is critical to delivering on its $1.6 billion investment to modernize the Oakland campus, which includes a new hospital building expected to open in 2031.
Union members contend the plan would cancel their union contracts, force workers into UC unions and reduce their take-home pay by about $10,000 annually, on average, primarily due to higher health and retirement benefit costs. They also argue the move would leave patients with fewer caregivers.
