The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, representing over 37,000 patient care and service employees across University of California (UC) institutions, initiated a statewide strike against the UC system on Feb. 26-27.
The union launched the strike at 17 UC locations, including university campuses and medical centers, after filing Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges alleging UC leadership’s “bad faith bargaining and interference with workers’ rights” in a press release.
At UCI, AFSCME Local 3299 workers and supporters joined the strike outside of Aldrich Hall and at the UCI Medical Center in Orange. On-campus strikers held signs, noisemakers and chanted demands for improved work conditions in Spanish and English while marching along Ring Road.
Outside of Aldrich Hall during the Feb. 27 strike, union representative and custodian Daisy Hernandez told New University that the UC “continues to intimidate” workers and their demands for improved healthcare, affordable housing and a solution to short staffing issues.
“[UC leadership] should consider how we feel in the needs that we need,” Hernandez told New University. “Unfortunately, I am currently on restrictions because of a work injury, and I need the help to be able to perform my work duties.”
In the press release announcing the strike, AFSCME Local 3299 President Michael Avant wrote on the union’s demands and decision to strike.
“Instead of addressing the decline in real wages that has fueled the staff exodus at UC Medical Centers and Campuses at the bargaining table, UC has chosen to illegally implement arbitrary rules aimed at silencing workers who are raising concerns while limiting their access to union representatives,” Avant stated. “UC’s blatantly illegal actions are standing in the way of constructive negotiations on the acute affordability crisis plaguing its frontline employees.”
AFSCME Local 3299 previously launched a statewide strike at UC institutions over ULP charges in November 2024 due to claims of bad faith bargaining following the contract expiration for patient care technical and service workers in July and October 2024. In the new round of ULP charges for the February strike, AFSCME Local 3299 alleged that the UC’s “efforts to silence workers” during 2024 protest activities were unlawful.
According to the charges, AFSCME claimed that beginning in September 2024, the UC “unilaterally enacted new access and speech rules to silence worker protests” and also announced new enforcement of existing policies. Access restrictions included limits on distributing leaflets, locations for picketing and demonstrations, and requirements for prior approval of amplified sound. AFSCME alleged that various UC institutions provided inadequate notice of these changes.
In a statement, the UC stated they were “disappointed” by AFSCME and the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) strike announcements. UPTE members at the UC — including healthcare, research and technical employees — went on strike from Feb. 26-28 to call for improved contracts and protest against alleged UC-imposed restrictions on expressive activity. At UCSF, UPTE and AFSCME members rallied together at picket lines. The UC called for both unions’ “willingness to engage in productive bargaining.”
“[AFSCME and UPTE] have chosen to focus their energy on strike preparation and amplifying misinformation rather than negotiating in good faith,” UC said in a statement. “AFSCME has not responded to the University’s proposals or counterproposals since May 2024.”
The UC has been bargaining with AFSCME since January 2024 and most recently participated in negotiations meetings on Feb. 4-5 and 11-12. In its proposals, the UC offered to expand sick leave and vacations, reduce healthcare costs for eligible employees up to $125 a month and increase wages a total of 18% over the course of the 5-year contracts.
AFSCME claimed that UCSF leadership sent an email dated Sept. 4 informing union representatives that revised access and speech policies were effective beginning on Sept. 3.
The ULP charges also alleged that the UC “used threats of discipline and arrest to enforce these revised rules and other restrictions on worker protest” during the ULP strike in November 2024.
AFSCME objected to access restrictions and called for the UC to “retract its changes at all locations before the parties could bargain over access.” UC leadership offered to bargain the consequences of these changes and refused to bargain over the changes themselves.
Grace Hefner is a News Staff Writer. She can be reached at ghefner@uci.edu.
Edited by Mia Noergaard.
