WRAP UP: Thousands Turn Out for Historic, System-wide Unfair Labor Practice Strike at UC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 21, 2013

CONTACT: Todd Stenhouse, 916-397-1131,
[email protected]

AFSCME Patient Protection Measures help Two Year Old at UC Davis

Oakland: Thousands of UC workers, students, elected officials and others braved rainy conditions yesterday in turning out to picket lines at nine University of California campuses and seven UC Hospitals as part of a one day Unfair Labor Practice strike called by UC’s largest employee union—AFSCME 3299.

“Yesterday was an historic moment of solidarity for all who share in the moral obligation to make UC facilities safer places to live, learn, heal and thrive,” said AFSCME 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger. “From Berkeley to San Diego, it was clear that Californians understand the importance of addressing the unlawful harassment of those who have challenged UC’s neglect on issues of safety for workers, patients and students.”

Joining AFSCME 3299 members on picket lines and at rallies yesterday were students, faculty, members of other UC employee bargaining units—including UAW 2865 (teaching assistants), UC-AFT (lecturers and librarians), CNA (Nurses), and UPTE-CWA 9119 (Healthcare, Research and Technical Employees)—and numerous elected officials, including:

The strike was prompted by a formal complaint issued by the Public Employment Relations Board in September. The complaint documents over 40 incidents of illegal intimidation against workers who were advocating for safer staffing levels at UC facilities back in May—some of which were chronicled in a November 20 story featured in Salon.com.

Read the Entire PERB Complaint Here: https://afscme3299.org/documents/legal/PERB-COMPLAINT-9-12-13-UPC-SF-CE-1033-H.pdf

UC’s safety deficiencies have been well documented. According to OSHA, worksite injuries amongst AFSCME 3299’s 8300 Service Workers have spiked almost 20% since 2009, with one in ten service workers injured on the job[i]. UC Hospitals have been hit with more than $1.5 million in recent fines from the State Department of Public Health[ii], and seen their annual number of reported patient care deficencies quadruple over the last decade[iii].

“It is a well documented fact that UC has a safety problem,” added Lybarger. “That’s what made UC’s coordinated campaign to illegally silence those raising these concerns so outrageous, and its continued tone-deafness to these problems impossible to understand.”

Patient Protection Task Force Helps Two Year Old at UC Davis Medical Center

As was the case during its two day strike of UC Hospitals last May, AFSCME 3299 once again exempted critical care workers from strike activity and formed a Patient Protection Task Force (PPTF) to ensure that emergency medical needs would be met during its one day work stoppage at UC Hospitals.

PPTF functions as a direct line between medical providers inside UC Hospitals, and striking workers outside.

“Though UC has consistently rejected the concept of the PPTF, UC’s failure to implement comprehensive contingency measures has made AFSCME’s focus on patient protection measures critical,” said AFSCME 3299’s PPTF Coordinator Seth Patel. “After UC made numerous requests (though not always emergency requests) to AFSCME’s PPTF in May, it again made use of the protocol again yesterday.  Most notably at UC Davis Medical Center, where an Electroencepholography Technician was pulled off the picket line on multiple occasions in order assist multiple patients undergoing seizures, including a two year old girl.”

More on PPTF: http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/11/20/uc-workers-cross-picket-line-to-help-patient-during-one-day-strike/

Status of UC-AFSCME Bargaining

In an Op-Ed released exclusively to UCLA’s Daily Bruin on Tuesday, AFSCME 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger detailed the status of the union’s efforts to reach a contract settlement with UC Administrators, noting the fact that AFSCME 3299 has either conceded demands or offered compromise on almost every one of the outstanding issues between the two sides—except safe staffing.

“We are holding out hope that President Napolitano will honor her commitment to work toward a settlement,” Lybarger wrote.

Read the Op-Ed Here: http://dailybruin.com/2013/11/19/submission-uc-must-make-worker-safety-a-priority/

After restarting bargaining earlier this month, UC offered—then cancelled–four different bargaining dates that AFSCME 3299 negotiators had agreed to in late November. In a letter to UC VP Of Labor Relations Dwaine Duckett on Tuesday, Lybarger reiterated the union’s offer to bargain “today and any day…”

Read Lybarger’s Letter to Duckett here: http://action.afscme.org/c/399/images/Duckett%2011.19.13.pdf

[i] U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Health & Safety Administration, Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, OSHA‘s Form 300s for years 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2012. Workplace injuries rose 18% from 2009 to 2012. In 2012, 1 in 10 service workers was injured on the job. 1 in 7 custodians were injured on the job in 2012. 1 in 5 food service workers were injured on the job in 2012.

[ii] UC Hospitals have received more than $1.5 million in CDPH fines since 2007. Source: California Department of Public Health; http://hfcis.cdph.ca.gov/search.aspx

[iii] Between 2004 and 2007, UC Medical Centers averaged 43.25 Reported Patient Care Deficencies per year. Between 2008 and 2012, they’ve averaged 212 reported Patient Care deficiencies, per year. Source: California Department of Public Health; http://hfcis.cdph.ca.gov/search.aspx