UC union workers to hold strike vote in February

Members of a University of California union representing patient care and service workers announced that in February they will hold a vote to strike to protest what the union claims a double standard by the UC during contract negotiations.

The strike vote will be held from Feb. 11 to Feb. 13 among the union’s about 8,300 service workers, while a vote to strike in sympathy with the service workers will be held simultaneously for its about 13,000 patient care workers.

Collective bargaining negotiations between the UC and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 union, which represents about about 22,000 healthcare and service workers across the UC, have been going on for more than a year.

Their negotiations had previously been deadlocked over the issue of pension reform, when the UC implemented pension contribution increases for all its employees and itself last year to help cover its unfunded pension liability.

AFSCME leaders said in a statement Wednesday that it has now conceded to these increases.

But they added they still want safer staffing levels and higher wages for their members, two issues they said they still have not agreed on with the UC.

AFSCME spokesman Todd Stenhouse said worksite injuries and illness among UC service workers have increased since 2008, citing data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The injuries are a result of insufficient staffing to cope with an increasing workload, Stenhouse said.

Shelly Meron, UC spokeswoman, said in an email statement that the UC is committed to reaching long-term, multi-year agreements with all of its labor groups.

“A labor strike is not productive and hurts our patients and students,” Meron said. “These issues need to be resolved at the bargaining table.”

In the past few months, the UC has reached five new contracts with six bargaining units, including one representing nurses and librarians in November.

The UC agreed to 4 percent across-the-board wage increases and step increases for each year of the contract for the nurses. AFSCME members are asking for similar wage raises for patient care and service workers, as well as higher staffing for better patient care.

“It takes a whole team to take care of the patient,” said Shirley Toy, a registered nurse at UC Davis Medical Center in a statement released by AFSCME. “While the nurses were able to win a great contract, we recognize that AFSCME service and patient care workers are an important part of the team, and they deserve that same fair contract too.”

AFSCME most recently held a strike in November to protest what it called unfair labor practices by the University. The strike cost the UCLA Health System $2.5 million and halted some discussion sections at UCLA.

Negotiations between the UC and AFSCME are ongoing, and bargaining sessions are scheduled later this month, Meron said.

At the UC Board of Regents meeting Wednesday in San Francisco, about 40 AFSCME members broke out in protest.

Demonstrators loudly left the regents’ meeting room while the meeting was in progress, chanting “We are not second class,” to picket and march outside the conference building where the regents convened.

Compiled by Emily Liu, Bruin contributor.

[Source]: Daily Bruin