ISLA VISTA, Calif. – More than 20,000 healthcare, research, and technical workers participated in a one-day strike across the UC system as the union that represents those workers negotiates a new labor contract with the university system.
According to the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) union, the strike was authorized in protest of the UC systems system-wide hiring freeze announced on March 19 of this year.
"Our message to UC’s administration and the new incoming president is simple," explained Dan Russell, UPTE President and a Business Technical Support Analyst at UC Berkeley. "We won’t stand by while patients wait longer, students suffer, and research slows. Now is not the time for California to cower to threats of funding cuts. If UC doesn’t reverse course, workers are prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure UC ends the hiring freeze and invests in the staffing necessary for Californians to receive the highest quality of healthcare, research and educational support."
The decision to impose a hiring freeze without prior opportunity to bargain is considered by the labor group to have been an unlawful action and the union is demanding that the UC system rescind the hiring freeze for its bargaining units.
"The University of California has consistently come to the table in good faith in an effort to collaborate with AFSCME [American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees] and UPTE to negotiate mutually beneficial contracts," countered Heather Hansen, a UC system spokesperson in response to Your News Channel's inquiries. "We are disappointed by the union’s continued choice of striking as a negotiation tactic. These strikes cost union members a full day of pay, and they cost the University system millions of dollars. This is especially harmful considering the current economic and fiscal uncertainty in higher education and nationally."
In addition to Thursday's strike actions, the UPTE also issued a new report further detailing the group's specific staffing complaints.
The University of California is the state's third-largest employer and UC Santa Barbara employs more than 10,000 people, the single largest employer in the county.
UPTE's report notes that while staff turnover is notably high, see the below graph, the demands from the mental health sector have dramatically increased and some of the state's largest hospitals are turning away more than half of transfer requests.
"I’m one of the frontline workers in UCSF’s Department of Psychiatry, where I support San Francisco’s most vulnerable patients—survivors of crime, abuse, and trafficking—many of whom live with severe mental illness, multiple comorbidities, and face challenges such as homelessness or substance use disorders. As an UPTE Unit Rep I’ve seen how our care is often disrupted by constant staff turnover, made worse by UC’s hiring freeze and refusal to address the root causes of the staffing crisis." shared Juliette Suarez, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at UC San Francisco. "It’s deeply frustrating that UC only claims there’s no staffing crisis when workers raise the alarm. Well, the data is clear: there is a staffing crisis and UC has the means to fix this crisis, but not the will. Instead of investing in the workers who directly serve the people of California, UC has chosen to hoard cash and expand management. We’re here to say: that ends now."
The UC system is second to only Kaiser as a provider of Medi-Cal hospital services by inpatient volume and is jointly funded by state and federal funds noted UPTE in its report.
Despite state plans to substantially increase healthcare funding, proposed federal cuts are almost certain to impact Medicaid funding.
The UC system's Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom shared that during a UC Regents meeting in 2023 that vacancy rates were three times pre-pandemic levels and admitted, "that is not a good thing for the staff experience, faculty experience or student experience" and the UC system reported in 2021 that, "[s]taff salaries tend to lag behind comparable market positions, and the lack of increases beyond inflation could affect staff satisfaction and turnover".
"The University of California instituted a hiring freeze following financial uncertainties announced by President Drake on March 19, joining many higher education institutions nationwide taking similar measures," detailed Hansen. "The hiring freeze applies to future hires only; it does not impact the employment status of current UC employees. Each UC location is implementing the freeze based on its specific needs, financial situation and pre-existing protocols. The University has informed stakeholders, including AFSCME and UPTE, that the hiring freeze doesn't alter commitments under collective bargaining agreements or established policies. UC officials have told AFSCME and UPTE they're willing to discuss any identified negotiable impacts, although the UC believes the parties’ collective bargaining agreements already cover these effects."
"If UC continues to ignore the staffing crisis and refuses to rescind the freeze or bargain in good faith, UPTE warns that this May Day strike will not be the last," stated a press release from the UPTE issued Thursday after the strike.
Parties are scheduled to meet on May 8 to continue the bargaining process.
Union groups representing University healthcare and technical workers conduct one-day strike News Channel 3-12.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Union groups representing University healthcare and technical workers conduct one-day strike )
Also on site :