AFSCME 3299 Announces Picket Locations and Events for March 24-28 Unfair Labor Practice Strike at UC Hospitals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 21, 2014

CONTACT: Todd Stenhouse, (916) 397-1131, [email protected] (San Francisco & Statewide Media Contact)
Kevin Brown, (609) 220-8155, [email protected] (Los Angeles)
Eric Sanchez, (571) 249-5844, [email protected] (Sacramento)
Justin Lee, (816) 261-2398, [email protected] (San Diego)
Karina Hernandez, (831) 905-0277, [email protected] (Irvine)

With Negotiations set to Resume Tonight, Local 3299 President says “It is still possible to avert a strike, but that is a decision only UC can make”

AFSCME 3299, which represents more than 13,000 University of California Patient Care Technical workers, today announced the locations and times of all picket activities in connection with its planned Unfair Labor Practice Strike at UC Medical Centers, March 24th-28th.

The Strike stems from a growing pattern of illegal, bad faith bargaining by UC Administrators, with whom Patient Care workers have been attempting to negotiate a new contract for nearly two years. The specific incidents of illegal conduct by UC include unilateral imposition of contract terms, unilateral cuts to employee benefits, and illegal regressive bargaining in the form of an 11th hour demand for sweeping new layoff powers. The State’s Public Employment Relations Board issued formal complaints against UC on each of these issues on March 20th.

Schedule of Events in connection with the Strike are detailed below.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: Picket Lines running at all sites from 7 a.m.-6 p.m., March 24, 26, 27, and 28. Noontime Rallies at each facility on those days.

• UC Davis Medical Center: 2315 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA, Daily Rally Time: 12:00 p.m.
• UC San Francisco Medical Center: 505 Parnassus Ave., San Francisco CA, Daily Rally Time: 12:00 p.m.

March 25th: All Northern California Picket Lines will unite for rally at the UC Office of The President from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Location: 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland CA.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Picket Lines running at all sites from 7am-6pm on March 24-25 and March 27-28. Noontime Rallies at each facility on those days.

• UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center: 757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, Daily Rally Time: 12:00 p.m.
• UCLA Santa Monica Hospital: 1250 16th Street, Santa Monica, CA, Daily Rally Time: 12:00 p.m.
• UC Irvine Medical Center: 101 The City Drive South, Orange CA, Daily Rally Time: 12:00 p.m.
• UCSD Medical Center, Hillcrest Hospital: 200 West Arbor Drive, San Diego CA, Daily Rally Time: 12:00 p.m.
• UCSD Medical Center, Thornton Hospital: 9300 Campus Point Drive, LaJolla CA, Daily Rally Time: 12:00 p.m.

March 26th: All Southern California Picket Lines will unite for rally at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Location: 757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles CA.

AFSCME 3299 has voluntarily exempted 51 Patient Care Technical Workers from participating in the strike—Respiratory Therapists in the PICU, NICU and Burn Units, as well as several Hemodialysis Technicians. It will be forming a Patient Protection Task Force to handle emergent medical needs that could arise during the strike.

Both PERB and a Sacramento Superior Court Judge have once again agreed with AFSCME 3299’s patient protection plan, and supported AFSCME 3299’s offer to voluntarily enjoin 51 workers from strike activity.

The University and AFSCME 3299 are scheduled to resume negotiations this evening. In advance of those talks, AFSCME 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger has issued the following statement:

“It is still possible to avert a strike, but that is a decision that only UC can make.  It starts with bargaining in good faith this weekend, and taking tangible steps to ensure that the growing trend of lawlessness we have seen over the last year will stop.  Such conduct would be unacceptable for any employer, but it is both reckless and dangerous when it is coming from the highest levels of California’s fourth largest health delivery system.”