Four things to know:
1. The American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees Local 3299, which represents 36,683 service and patient care UC employees, will strike on Feb. 26 and 27, according to the university. The University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119, which represents 19,201 healthcare, research and technical UC employees, will strike from Feb. 26-28.
2. Union members voted to authorize a strike earlier this month. AFSCME and UPTE began bargaining with UC in January 2024 and June 2024, respectively.
3. Union members contend that UC is having a staffing crisis, engaging in unfair labor practices, and not coming to the bargaining table with adequate proposals to address their concerns, allegations the university disputes.
“Across the state, UC has tried to intimidate and threaten workers to keep them from speaking out, protesting, leafleting, picketing, and striking,” the AFSCME said in a statement, adding that, “UC needs to hear from us that it needs to address short-staffing and the affordability crisis affecting its workforce.”
“Workers are walking out in response to multiple [unfair labor practice] violations, as the University of California attempts to silence whistleblowers speaking out about the staffing crisis affecting students, patient care and research,” the UPTE said in a news release shared with Becker’s.
4. The university said in a statement that during negotiations, it has “offered each union meaningful wage increases, healthcare premium reductions, and other offers to directly address the issues they’ve indicated are important to their members.”
“While both AFSCME and UPTE may say they want UC to return to the table, the successful resolution of these contracts depends on their willingness to engage in productive bargaining,” UC said in its statement. “The university will do everything possible to ensure strike impacts on patients, students, faculty and staff are mitigated.”
