Tens of thousands of service and patient care workers, organized with two unions, AFSCME Local 3299, and the University Professional Technical Employees (UPTE)-CWA Local 9119, or UPTE, are entering their second unfair labor practice strike across the University of California system. Beginning on February 26, workers have been picketing at universities across the state of California, including UC Berkeley, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), UC Davis, UC Merced, UC Santa Barbara, and others.
The @CaliforniaLabor movement turned out on the picket lines in full support of our brave @afscme3299 @UPTECWA brothers and sisters on #strike against #UC! #Solidarity https://t.co/EcSYgA7eDw pic.twitter.com/rTc5WQJFqx
— California Federation of Labor Unions (@CaliforniaLabor) February 27, 2025
The two unions represent nearly 60,000 health care and service workers across the UC system. AFSCME Local 3299 workers have been struggling for fair pay that addresses inflation and against rising staff shortages, and alleged that the University has engaged in unfair labor practices by attempting “to silence workers from protesting, leafleting, picketing, striking and otherwise expressing concerns.” The union local represents around 37,000 UC workers. AFSCME workers plan to strike until Thursday, February 27.
UCLA day 2 ain’t no stopping us now! pic.twitter.com/gVeRnNO15m
— AFSCME Local 3299 (@afscme3299) February 27, 2025
UPTE represents around 20,000 employees, and has claimed that the UC system has attempted “to silence whistleblowers speaking out about the staffing crisis that is hurting students, patient care, and critical research.” UPTE workers will be on strike until 11:59 pm on Friday, February 28.
Tens of thousands of @UofCalifornia workers across the state are ON #STRIKE today against unfair labor practices & the energy on our picket lines is electric.
We won’t stand for UC’s efforts to silence us, and we won’t stop speaking up for patients, students, and research #union pic.twitter.com/G5qc68s3af
— UPTE-CWA 9119 (@UPTECWA) February 26, 2025
The two unions had previously went on an unfair labor practice strike against the UC system in November, claiming the university was engaging in unfair bargaining tactics, enacting “new rules to limit our ability to advocate for ourselves” and interfering “with our rights by unilaterally forcing individuals to come to work,” according to UPTE.
AFSCME Local 3299 President Michael Avant said of the current 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.”
