AFSCME union organizes state-wide rally over UC patient care contract

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 held rallies at University of California (UC) Medical Centers and campuses on Oct. 9.

The rallies were organized in light of a bargaining impasse and the end of California Public Employment Relations Board-ordered (PERB) mediation for the Patient Care Technical contract. The union demands wage increases and affordable housing for workers. The union filed formal charges with PERB alleging the UC’s partaking in “bad faith bargaining,” according to an Oct. 10 AFSCME Local 3299 press release.

AFSCME Local 3299 members employed by UCI rallied on Ring Road near the flagpoles. Picketers held neon green signs displaying “Fair AFSCME 3299 contract now!” and chanted “What do we want? Fair contract. When do we want it? Now!” and “If we don’t get it? Shut it down.”

Employees at the UCI Health Lakewood and Placentia Linda hospitals picketed similarly in front of their workplaces.

Rallies were held simultaneously at all 10 UC campuses, including UC San Francisco and the UC San Diego, UC Davis and UCLA medical centers. Participants at UCI gathered at 8:30 a.m. to protest an ongoing impasse between the union and the UC system on negotiations for patient care technical and service employees, according to an Oct. 9 press release from AFSCME Local 3299. 

“One of the many reasons we’ve been able to win better contracts year after year has been because of our growing presence in the Capitol,” Monica De Leon, UCI Medical Center employee and AFSCME 3299 political action committee chair, said in a union website statement.  “Through PEOPLE we’re able to meet with politicians, share our stories and gain allies that join us in keeping UC accountable to the workers, students and patients who make UC run!”

AFSCME Local 3299 President Michael Avant spoke in the press release about the impacts of understaffing on student and patient populations due to a “staff vacancy crisis” within the UC.

“The University of California has publicly acknowledged a staff vacancy crisis that ultimately threatens the quality of services it can deliver to its students and patients, yet the only employees it is investing in are its highest paid executives,” Avant stated. “The university is creating a dangerous staff vacancy crisis by refusing to pay frontline workers enough to keep pace with rising costs and by ignoring our pleas for affordable housing solutions so workers can live near their jobs.”

AFSCME Local 3299 is the UC system’s largest employee union that represents over 30,000 workers, including those in service, patient care, custodial and security roles at UC operations. For patient care technical and service workers, the Patient Care Worker contract outlines provisions of paid leave, wage tables, management rights and other employment terms. The contract was passed on Feb. 20, 2020 and expired on July 31, 2024 for patient care workers. The contract will expire on Oct. 31, 2024 for service care workers.

Ahead of its expiration, the UC and AFSCME engaged in 10 negotiation meetings beginning in January, with both parties discussing proposals without reaching significant agreements on wage increases, paid time off, workplace safety, healthcare and other provisions. 

Regarding compensation, the UC proposes a $25 per hour minimum wage effective July 2025 — increasing hourly wages by up to 28.3% for the current lowest-paid employees and meeting AFSCME’s demands to raise wages. The proposal also includes pay increases throughout a five-year contract, with a maximum increase of 5% in the first year. AFSCME is calling for an immediate pay raise to offset the rising cost of living, a $25 per hour minimum wage retroactive to 2023 and a pay increase of 9% in the first year of a three-year contract. 

On July 24, PERB declared that the UC and AFSCME Local 3299 were at an impasse after seven months of bargaining without a substantial agreement, according to a UC press release

PERB ordered a 15-day mediation between the parties, but canceled the session on Aug. 29 within two days.

“PERB conducts mediation between parties hundreds of times a year and is experienced in dealing with parties and negotiations, so UC trusts that PERB believed that mediation would not be productive,” UC Associate Vice President for Systemwide Employee and Labor Relations Missy Matella stated in the press release. “We have responded with generous counter-proposals and have remained committed to continuing good-faith bargaining and a productive relationship with AFSCME, as we do with all our unions.”

At the initial announcement of the impasse, the UC accepted the role of a mediator in continued negotiations.

“While all public employers face a difficult budget cycle, UC’s wage package is designed to support our valued employees, putting more money into their pocket so that they use it in a way that best meets their needs,” a July statement reads. “Given our goal of reaching a consensus for their next contract, the University is not disputing the value of a mediator in these negotiations, which is the first step in the impasse process.”

Todd Stenhouse, spokesperson for AFSCME 3299, supported the previously held system-wide rallies on July 31, the date of contract expiration. Stenhouse described AFSCME’s concern over employee housing affordability by referencing the July 31 press release which claimed that the cost of living in UC campus communities is approximately 47% higher than comparable campus communities.

“The UC is sitting on tens of billions … of dollars in unrestricted assets. They have parcels of unused lands. They could use both to create housing solutions tomorrow if they decided to do so,” Stenhouse told New University. “[UC service workers] can’t afford to rent.” 

 A July 2024 AFSCME report found that the share of UC service workers who meet the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of low and very low income approximately doubled between 2017 and 2023. Additionally, the report claimed that the rapid expansion of UC facilities may contribute to “cost pressures on local housing markets” that increase housing costs. AFSCME has championed a new $25,000 housing fund for workers’ rent and mortgage financial aid, per their July 24 Instagram post.

The UC stated on its website for negotiation updates that the use of funds in the university system is often restricted by stipulations in government contracts or by private donors. A “formal proposal” from AFSCME, according to the UC, would help leadership examine the feasibility of the union’s demands.

Since January, the UC has made 26 proposals and 36 counter proposals. AFSCME made 42 proposals at the beginning of the year — none since May — and three counter proposals.

A three-person panel in a “fact-finding step” with one impartial representative, one AFSCME representative and one UC representative will commence to “consider their respective positions,” as reported by the UC.

“We fully respect AFSCME’s right to activate their membership of University of California employees. The University and the AFSCME have a rich history of partnership to provide excellence in service and patient care for the UC system,” an Oct. 8 UC statement reads. “We maintain a positive outlook on our relationship with AFSCME and the current contract negotiations and hope a mutually beneficial contract agreement can be achieved soon.”

The union will vote on an Unfair Labor Practice strike between Oct. 28 and 30.

Inga Chilingaryan is a News Intern for the fall 2024 quarter. She can be reached at chilingi@uci.edu.

Karen Wang is a News Editor. She can be reached at karenw14@uci.edu.

Edited by Jaheem Conley.

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