Thousands of patient care and services workers at UCLA, UC Irvine and other University of California campuses across the state began a two-day strike Wednesday, alleging bullying tactics. unfair trading, allegations that the UC system denies.

According to the AFSCME Local 3299 union, the strike includes approximately 37,000 UC workers “at every UC campus and medical facility across the state.” The strike began Wednesday at midnight and will continue until Thursday evening at midnight. Picketing both days will take place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“The University’s repeated violations of the law at the bargaining table mean that the epidemic of understaffing at CU institutions, as well as cost-of-living and housing affordability crises that impact on UC frontline workers is only getting worse,” AFSCME Local 3299 President Michael Avant said in a statement. “By failing to uphold its most basic legal responsibilities to the dedicated professionals who clean its facilities, serve food to students and care for its patients, UC has left workers with no choice but to exercise their right legal strike.”

The UC System issued a statement earlier this month when issuing the strike notice, saying officials “fundamentally disagreed with AFSCME’s allegations that the negotiations were in bad faith and the characterization of unacceptable negotiating proposals.

UC officials said the university and union had a robust series of meetings and exchanges of various contract proposals between January and May.

“The University’s proposals include $700 million in economic increases for AFSCME members and a direct response to what AFSCME had requested – the greater of a minimum wage of $25 an hour or a general increase of 5%,” according to the UC. . “Our proposals would increase AFSCME member pay by an average of 26 percent over the life of the five-year contract. We also offered monthly credits of $75 or $100 for AFSCME members to offset employee premium increases.

University officials said that in May the union stopped responding to or acknowledging the university’s proposals and declared an impasse “despite our clear desire to continue to negotiate the terms of the contract.” The most recent proposal would have increased wages to $25 an hour systemwide by July 1, 2025, according to the university.

The union claims, however, that the university “illegally circumvented negotiations to unilaterally increase health care costs by hundreds of dollars each month” and also refused to provide the union with information about vacant positions and certain finances.

“Over the past year, we have worked to engage in good faith negotiations on the job quality needs of our members and the growing vacancy crisis that is eroding the quality of services on campuses and UC hospitals,” Avant said. “Instead of being a constructive and transparent partner seeking to bring us closer to an agreement, the UC sought to push us further away by withholding critical information, showing up unprepared and without authority to compromise, and seeking to unilaterally impose healthcare cost increases that function as a pay cut for workers already struggling to survive.”

Union officials say some of its members are forced to endure hours-long commutes or sleep in their cars, and that the share of the workforce eligible for some government housing assistance “has nearly tripled since then.” 2017”.

Union members held picket lines at all UCLA medical facilities, including the UCLA campus, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UC Irvine Medical Center.

UC officials said they planned the walkout to mitigate its possible impacts and ensure there was no interruption to patient care.

UCLA Health released a statement saying it has developed “detailed plans” to maintain all patient care during the strike.

“All health care facilities are open and operational. UCLA Health continually evaluates its resources and strategically deploys staff and managers to ensure its highest priority: providing safe, high-quality care,” according to UCLA Health. “Picketing and other activities – particularly near the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and the Medical Plaza complex in Westwood – may cause traffic delays. Patients are advised to allow extra time to get there. move.”

According to UCLA Health, employees represented by AFSCME include technical patient care employees such as emergency radiology and trauma technicians; phlebotomists; perfusionists and medical assistants, as well as service employees such as custodians, security guards, and food service workers.

UC’s contract with patient care workers expired on July 31, while the service workers’ contract expired on October 31, according to the union.