Yesterday, thousands of University of California (UC) healthcare workers began a two-day strike across California. KTLA Tony Kurzweil denounced on November 20 that, according to the union, UC representatives had negotiated illegally
In a notice in your websiteunion AFSCME Local 3299 stated: “UC’s illegal conduct—from showing up to negotiations without any authority to forge compromises to announcing that it will ignore negotiations altogether to impose higher health care costs on workers—has left workers They take care of students and patients every day with no choice but to go on strike.
“Union officials alleged that low wages have forced some workers to endure multi-hour commutes or sleep in their cars,” Kurzweil wrote. “University officials have denied allegations of unfair negotiating tactics and say they have offered salary increases.”
“The series of law violations by the University at the negotiating table means that the epidemic of understaffing in UC facilities and the related cost of living and housing affordability crises affecting UC frontline workers are only getting worse,” AFSCME Local 3299 President Michael Avant said in a statement.
“The University’s proposals include $700 million in financial increases for AFSCME members and a direct response to what AFSCME had asked for: a $25 per hour minimum wage or a 5 percent across-the-board raise, whichever is greater,” according to the UC. .
KCRA Melanie Wingo reported that, according to the union, nearly 40,000 UC workers across all UC campuses and medical facilities in California are participating in the strike.
