Approximately 40,000 workers across the University of California system are on picket lines as part of a two-day strike.
Contracts for patient care employees and service workers are expiring, but the unions representing them and the UC system have been unable to reach agreement on new wages, benefits and staffing levels.
The strike will begin across the state at midnight and continue until 11:59 tomorrow night.
The strike against UCLA’s health care system is one of the largest on the entire UC campus.
The union representing them claims the university illegally increased their medical bills by hundreds of dollars each month by avoiding negotiations.
Employees claim the facility is understaffed and they need to earn more money to buy housing.
The UC system claims that its unions have collectively stopped responding to a proposal to raise wages to $25 an hour by next July.
The University of California responded to the strike, stating in part:
“We fundamentally disagree with AFSCME’s assertions regarding the characterization of bad faith negotiations and unacceptable negotiation proposals. From January to May, the University of California and AFSCME negotiating teams met 22 times and We worked together on a proposal for the University of California AFSCME representative staff.”
Until the university and union reach an agreement, the UCLA Health Department says all medical facilities will remain open and operational during the union strike.
Patient care in hospitals and clinics is not affected.
If you have a reservation, please arrive early as picketers may block roads.
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