SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tens of thousands of physician assistants and other healthcare and custody physicians at the University of California have continued their strike on suspicion of unfair labor practices and staffing shortages.
The strike by the two union representing nearly 60,000 healthcare and service workers is separate, coming after the union and the 10-campus university system fail to reach new contracts.
United States, County and City Employee Union Region 3299, or AFSCME Local 3299, and University Professional Technical Employee (UPTE)-CWA Local 9119, or UPTE also went November strike It advocates unfair negotiation tactics that the university system has denied.
AFSCME Local 3299 represents approximately 37,000 employees, including respiratory therapists, pharmacy technicians, mental health workers, managers and gardeners. He said the strike will come weeks after he filed a new charge with the state’s Public Employment Relations Board for what he says is an unfair work practice by the university.
“Instead of addressing the actual wage declines that facilitated staff exit at the Exodus and negotiation tables of staff at UC’s medical centres and campuses, UC has chosen to illegally enforce any rules that dismiss workers raising concerns while limiting access to union representatives.
Representing 20,000 employees, including physician assistants, optometrists, pharmacists, nurse case managers and mental health workers, UPTE is a three-day strike. The union said the university “sought to silence whistleblowers talking about the staffing crisis that hurts students, patient care and critical research.”
The university denied the allegations, stating it was engaged in legal strike activities and fully supports the union’s rights “as proven by the two-day strikes of AFSCME and Upte.”
It added that it provided “meaningful” wages, reduced health insurance premiums and other incentives for each union in response to workers’ complaints.
“The University of California is disappointed that AFSCME and UPTE are planning a strike. Rather than negotiating in good faith, both unions have chosen to focus their energy on preparing for the strike and amplifying misinformation,” the university said in a statement.
The AFSCME Local 3299 contract expired on July 31st. The UPTE contract expired on October 31st.
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