Members of the University Professional and Technical Employees-CWA Local 9119 are striking April 1 at University of California campuses and medical centers, with members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 joining in solidarity.
Six things to know:
1. The strike involves approximately 20,000 UPTE-represented healthcare, research and technical employees and approximately 40,000 AFSCME-represented UC service and patient care workers.
2. UPTE-represented workers preparing to strike include physician assistants, optometrists, pharmacists, case managers, rehabilitation specialists, mental health clinicians, clinical lab scientists, staff research associates, IT workers and other professionals. AFSCME-represented workers preparing to strike include those in custodial services, food preparation, building maintenance and groundskeeping, as well as respiratory therapists, pharmacy technicians and other technical staff.
3. Union members contend that UC has engaged in bad faith bargaining, including its refusal to address proposals for certain employees and the imposition of higher healthcare costs on UPTE members.
“UC continues to stand in the way of meaningful negotiations to address the staffing crisis hurting patients, research and students, opting instead for illegal divide-and-conquer tactics and unfair labor practices,” UPTE said April 1 on its Facebook page.
Josh Hutchison, an AFSCME member and occupational therapist assistant at Sacramento, Calif.-based UC Davis Health, said in a statement on Facebook: “UPTE represents direct patient care workers in UC hospitals that AFSCME work side by side with. The UC is treating them the same way they are treating us by using unfair labor practices and not bargaining in good faith.”
4. UC disagrees with union members’ claims, saying in a statement April 1 that it has met with the unions for months to try to settle their contracts, “offering generous wage increases, monthly credits to reduce healthcare expenses for lower-wage earners, expanded sick leave, and improved ability to schedule vacation time. … More importantly, our proposals have been designed to specifically address the top priorities that union members have identified as most important.”
Meanwhile, “UPTE and UC are progressing through the impasse process, with fact-finding sessions completed last week and a recommendations report coming soon,” a UC spokesperson told Becker’s. “AFSCME and UC are continuing to communicate and are scheduled to meet in the coming weeks to discuss the next steps.”
5. UC employees have gone on strike two other times in the past six months. UPTE began bargaining with UC in June 2024, and members’ contracts expired in fall 2024. AFSCME began bargaining with UC in January 2024, and members’ contracts expired July 31 (patient care workers) and Oct. 31 (service workers).
6. During the latest strike, San Francisco-based UCSF Health said it expects to maintain the majority of scheduled appointments and surgeries, although some procedures may need to be rescheduled.
