AFSCME Local 3299, a union representing University of California service and patient care workers, has scheduled a systemwide strike for Nov. 20 and 21.
The union represents about 26,000 healthcare workers and about 11,000 service workers across 10 UC campuses and five medical centers, a union spokesperson told Becker's. This includes phlebotomists, infusionists, operating room specialists, respiratory therapists, patient care assistants, pharmacy technicians, lab technicians, custodians, shuttle drivers and food service workers.
Union members voted to authorize a strike in October. The union and UC have been working to negotiate successor labor contracts for nearly a year, according to AFSCME Local 3299.
A Nov. 8 statement from UC said the university's proposals during negotiations include "$700 million in economic increases for AFSCME members" and "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."
In October, AFSCME Local 3299 filed a complaint with the California Public Employment Relations Board, alleging that UC has engaged in illegal bad faith bargaining.
"By refusing to bargain in good faith, the university has made it clear that it does not value the front-line workers who clean its facilities, serve students food and treat patients," AFSCME Local 3299 President Michael Avant said in a news release. "If UC refuses to meet its most basic legal responsibilities to employees, we will hold them accountable by exercising our legal right to strike."
UC said it "fundamentally disagree[s] with AFSCME's claims of bad faith bargaining and characterization of unacceptable bargaining proposals."
In addition to the AFSCME Local 3299 strike, members of the University Professional and Technical Employees at the University of California San Francisco are also set to strike Nov. 20 and 21. UPTE represents approximately 4,000 UCSF healthcare, research and technical workers. Of these, approximately 2,040 are healthcare workers.
In response to notices from two unions, UCSF Health said in a statement it plans to continue regular operations, including emergency care, and anticipates it will maintain the majority of scheduled appointments and surgeries.