Thousands of UC patient-care, service workers begin 2-day strike

Thousands of patient care and service workers at UC San Diego Medical Center and other University of California campuses across the state will stage a two-day strike starting Wednesday, alleging unfair bargaining tactics, allegations the UC system denies.

According to the AFSCME Local 3299 union, the strike will include roughly 37,000 UC workers "at every UC campus and medical facility across the state." The strike began at midnight Wednesday and continues until midnight Thursday. Picketing both days will be from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"The University's serial lawbreaking at the bargaining table means that the epidemic of understaffing at UC facilities, and the related cost of living and housing affordability crises plaguing frontline UC workers are only getting worse," AFSCME Local 3299 President Michael Avant said in a statement. "By failing to meet its most basic legal responsibilities to the dedicated professionals who clean its facilities, serve students food, and treat its patients, UC has left workers with no choice but to exercise their legal right to strike."

The UC system issued a statement earlier this month when the strike notice was issued, saying officials "fundamentally disagree with AFSCME's claims of bad faith bargaining and characterization of unacceptable bargaining proposals."

"Basically, it’s come down to – we have to go on strike, which is very sad, because you know, we all wanna be at work. We wanna serve the students, serve our patients, you know, the people that we work for," said Mark Potter, a UC San Diego lead building maintenance worker.

UC officials said the university and union had a robust series of meetings and exchanges of various contract proposals between January and May.

"The University's proposals include $700 million in economic increases for AFSCME members and a direct response to what AFSCME had asked for -- the greater of a $25 an hour minimum wage or a 5% across-the-board raise," according to the UC. "Our proposals would increase AFSCME members' pay by an average 26% over the five-year contract. We have also proposed $75 or $100 monthly credits for AFSCME members to offset employee premium increases."

University officials said the union in May stopped responding to or acknowledging the university's proposals and declared an impasse "despite our clear willingness to continue to negotiate contract terms." According to the university, the most recent proposal would have raised wages to $25 an hour across the system by July 1, 2025.

The union contends, however, that the university "illegally sidestepped bargaining to unilaterally increase health care costs by hundreds of dollars every month," and also refused to provide the union with information on staff vacancies and certain finances.

"For the past year, we have worked to engage in good-faith bargaining over the job quality needs of our members, and the growing staff vacancy crisis that is eroding the quality of services at UC campuses and hospitals," Avant said. "Instead of being a constructive and transparent partner seeking to bring us closer to agreement, UC has sought to drive us farther apart by withholding critical information, showing up unprepared and without authority to compromise, and by seeking to unilaterally impose healthcare cost increases that will function as a wage cut on workers already struggling to survive."

Union officials alleged that some of its members are forced to endure multi-hour commutes or sleep in their cars, and the share of the workforce eligible for some government housing subsidies "has nearly tripled since 2017."

Union members plan to stage picket lines at all UC medical facilities, including at UC San Diego Medical Center La Jolla.

UC officials said they have been planning for the walkout to mitigate its possible impacts and ensure no disruptions to patient care.

In a statement provided UC San Diego said:

UC San Diego Health has detailed plans in place to minimize patient impact and maintain access to hospitals and clinics. All UC San Diego Health facilities will remain open and operational.

Delivering outstanding patient care remains our top priority. Patients can rest assured that their clinical care teams, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists will be present to provide care.

UC San Diego respects the rights of represented employees to bargain collectively on the terms and conditions of employment, and to perform legally protected strike activities.

The UC's contract with patient care workers expired July 31, while the service workers' contract lapsed on Oct. 31, according to the union.