University of California workers go on multi-day strike

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Tens of thousands of University of California workers went on strike Wednesday. The workers are represented by two unions and both are planning multi-day strikes.

Workers with two different unions chanting "Whose University? Our University! Whose University? Our University!" made their voices heard at UC Santa Barbara.

AFSCME 3299 covers service workers and patient care at the university. The other union is UPTE-CWA 9119 and it covers health care, research and technical staff.

UPTE employees accused the UC system of violating labor laws, saying they are understaffed and overworked.

“We’ve been negotiating with the UC over the last multiple months and they haven’t been coming to the table," said UPTE workplace rep, Michael Benaron. "And they legally increased out health premiums and our insurance premiums and also haven’t been sharing staffing shortages throughout the state of California, so we’re shedding light on that.”

For AFSCME workers, this is the second time they are striking after their contract expired last year.

“We’re here to show them that frontline workers run this university and the entire University of California system deserves a counterpart at the bargaining table," said Tran Nguyen, who is a temporary communications representative for UCSB's picket line.

The University of California laid out its case against UPTE in a series of posts on X on February 14th.

The University argues there is no staffing crisis, turnover is flattening, and that the university has offered higher wages, reduced premiums and more time off.

Laura Berman, a student health employee with AFSCME, said representing everyone in her building means a lot to her.

“I work for Student health and we are desperately underpaid, people are overworked, under paid. We’re just trying to get a fair contract," said Berman.