In a statement, the UC said it “supports our employees’ rights to engage in lawful protests and free speech activities. At the same time, all community members must abide by the University’s reasonable time, place and manner rules.”
The action follows four recent work stoppages by members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 and University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) Local 9119 unions, which represent a collective 55,000 UC employees, since they kicked off bargaining campaigns last June and January, respectively.
Both negotiations have been in a stalemate for months as the unions lobby for higher wages, which they say haven’t kept up with the cost of living around UC campuses, leaving some workers without stable housing and others with hour-long commutes to their jobs.
The university has offered UPTE a 5% wage increase starting July 1, 2025, followed by a 3% raise both in 2026 and 2027. Its “best and final” offer for AFSCME in April included raises of 5% in 2025, 4% in 2026 and 3% in 2027, 2028 and 2029.
While university officials said earlier this month that they have attempted to negotiate “mutually beneficial contracts” with both unions repeatedly, the unions have said the proposals are insufficient.
“They want these workers to accept a permanent wage cut, higher healthcare costs, continued desperate under-staffing, no assistance with housing, even though they’re giving all the assistance in the world to their wealthiest executives who clearly don’t need it,” said Todd Steinhaus, a spokesperson for AFSCME. The union’s stance is that meager wage increases are outpaced by inflation, netting a loss of income.
Workers are also pushing for increased staffing at medical sites, like UCSF, that they say are chronically understaffed, contributing to employee burnout and poor patient care.
