Tens of thousands of workers at University of California campuses and UC health care facilities started a 48-hour strike on Wednesday.
The strike includes more than 36,000 members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) who provide service and patient care and more than 19,000 members of the Union of Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) who work in health care, research and technical jobs across the UC system.
People with appointments at UCSF Mission Bay could feel an impact. And students at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA and other UC campuses will feel an impact in dining halls and other facilities.
It’s the second time the two unions have walked out.
Union leaders accuse UC management of unfair labour practices. The union contracts expired in July and October of last year.
The wage crisis is just one part of what the workers are fighting for, union leaders say.
Liz Perlman, executive director with AFSCME 3299 based in Culver City Los Angeles, said: ‘Our members are now dealing with essentially a 10 per cent wage cut because of inflation and the housing crisis.
‘University officials give themselves free benefits while our members struggle to find housing, and there’s a health care crisis.
‘UC just illegally imposed cuts where health care workers are having to choose paying for insulin or paying for their kids’ backpacks or paying for rent.’
UC made new offers to AFSCME two weeks ago that include 18 per cent increases over five years, beginning with 5 per cent this year.
UC and UPTE met for mediation at the end of January. The offer on the table was a 5 per cent across the board increase and 3 per cent in years two and three.
The two unions said that the offer was not enough to make up for big cuts to wages that happened after the Covid-19 pandemic
UCSF on Wednesday released a statement, saying in part that it has prepared for this week’s strike, ‘with contingency plans in place to ensure that UCSF Health can continue to provide the quality of care for which it is known and that campus operations continue uninterrupted.’
The strike began at midnight Wednesday and continued all day Thursday.
Meanwhile, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement on the budget resolution under consideration in the House of Representatives
Shuler said: ‘While Elon Musk is busy trying to fire the federal workforce and gut the government services we all rely on, Congress is gearing up to pass a massive tax giveaway to giant corporations and the ultra-wealthy on the backs of working people.
‘The Republican budget bill that the House is aiming to pass this week would slash programmes like Medicaid and food assistance for children, taking away care from grandparents in nursing homes, premature babies in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), and leaving kids hungry.
‘It also puts millions of Americans’ jobs at risk, including nursing home and home care workers, substance abuse counsellors, midwives, and hospital and community health care centre workers, along with jobs across food processing and production.
‘These deep, unnecessary cuts will hit rural communities and poorer states hardest, forcing those state and local governments to stretch what little budget they have even further.
‘That means everyone’s jobs, from librarians and public utility workers to EMTs and firefighters, could be at risk.
‘This budget resolution is an attack on the jobs, families and communities of everyday Americans. We call on every member of Congress to stand with the working people of this country and vote no.’
AFSCME President Lee Saunders released a statement on Wednesday which also condemned the budget
He said: ‘The shameful budget bill approved by the US House of Representatives will cause ‘millions to lose their health care, increase food insecurity for families, and jeopardise Medicare and Social Security in the long term’ if enacted.
‘This budget proves that anti-union extremists in Congress are more concerned with giving the wealthy trillions in tax cuts than helping working people.
‘Voters across the country are packing town halls to demand no cuts to Medicaid or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
‘They’re calling representatives asking them to save public services. They want elected leaders who will lower rising costs on everything from rent to food.’
The House plan seeks to cut $2 trillion (£1.59 trillion) in federal spending to pay for $4.5 trillion (£3.57 trillion) in tax cuts for billionaires and wealthy corporations. It also calls for raising the federal debt limit by $4 trillion (£3.17 trillion.
The US Senate approved its own disastrous budget plan last week. That proposal similarly seeks massive cuts to essential public services to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. Saunders called it ‘inhumane.’
AFSCME research shows that on average 33% of all states’ budgets are supported by federal funding. In fact, some states receive as much as 50 per cent of their budgets from Washington.
Anti-union extremists in Congress want to impose large cuts on all public services. In particular, they want to slash as much as $880 billion (£697 billion) in federal Medicaid spending, which keeps the doors open at hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and veterans’ homes in communities all over the country. If Medicaid is cut, states will be forced to slash public services and jobs to make up for the shortfall.
Medicaid is the single largest source of funding that states receive from the federal government, accounting for 56 per cent of total federal funding to states.
With smaller budgets, states, cities and towns will be forced to make tough choices about what gets funded. This means all public services and public service jobs held by AFSCME members are on the line – transportation, education, health care, sanitation, environmental protection and beyond.
Elsewhere, bus drivers, van drivers, trainers, and attendants at Zum Transportation in Jessup, Maryland have voted by a four-to-one margin to join Teamsters Local 570.
Karl Fernandez, a driver at Zum in Jessup, said: ‘I voted to join the Teamsters because management has made false promises to employees for far too long .
‘We asked the Teamsters to represent us because they will ensure we get a collective bargaining agreement that includes better wages, stronger benefits, safe working conditions, and protection from unfair treatment.’
Sean Cedenio, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 570, said: ‘With an overwhelming yes vote, Zum transportation workers have sent a resounding message to their employer that they will no longer be treated with disrespect and offered the bare minimum.
‘We could not be more excited to welcome nearly 300 brothers and sisters to our great union.
‘Today, we celebrate and tomorrow, we get to work on fighting for a first Teamsters contract.’
‘These new Teamsters provide essential student transportation services for Howard County Public Schools.’
Dwight Blackwell, a driver at Zum in Jessup, said: ‘The way that we have been treated is unfair and enough is enough.
‘We aren’t asking for a lot, just to be offered the same opportunities as management – like paid holidays, annual leave, and a pay raise.
‘Most importantly, we want to be paid for the days that schools are closed for inclement weather and teacher meetings because we have not received a full paycheck since before Christmas break.’