UCSF workers strike
Striking UCSF union workers are walking city streets in front of the Parnassus and Mission Bay campuses for three days this week to protest allegations of union interference.
Patient care workers with AFSCME Local 3299 voted with 96 percent support to authorize the strike from Tuesday, Oct. 23 to Thursday, Oct. 25, according to an AFSCME news release.
Strikers will march along 505 Parnassus Avenue and 1825 4th Street near the Mission Bay campus, where the UCSF Police Department will have an increased police and security presence.
UCSF anticipates a number of impacts to its clinical and operational services — included limited shuttle service — across both campus and UCSF Health locations, according to a statement by UCSF Chief of Police Mike Denson.
“To ensure smooth operations next week, please remember to always wear your UCSF ID badges, allow extra time for your commute, and be patient with those services that are operating with limited staffing levels,” Denson stated.
The most current information about these impacts will be updated at https://intheknow.ucsf.edu/impacts.
The union held a three-day strike last May, claiming the UC perpetuates racial- and gender-based discrimination in its hiring and wage practices.
“Through its actions, the University of California is making income, racial, and gender inequality at UC worse,” commented Monica De Leon, Vice President of AFSCME Local 3299’s Patient Care Technical Unit.
“They’re destroying what were once career pathways to the middle-class for our state’s diverse population and are damaging the quality of service that we provide to students, patients, and everyday Californians.”
AFSCME Local 3299 President Kathryn Lybarger stated in the press release that UC’s outsourcing undermines the most diverse group of workers in the UC.
“When UC outsources these jobs, they’re eliminating what were once career ladders into the middle class for women and people of color – and that is in major conflict with the University’s mission of serving as an engine of economic mobility for all Californians,” Lybarger said.
According to a joint statement by Chancellor Sam Hawgood and Mark R. Laret, last May’s strike led to “very real tensions among colleagues,” among other challenges.
“During the strike in May, thousands of patient appointments were cancelled, delayed, or rescheduled. Some of our patients had to see other providers for their care,” read the statement.
In a statement posted to the UCSF website, Laret implored employees to “consider” several points and “weigh all factors” before taking action this week.
Laret emphasized that neither he nor “any other campus or medical center leader” is participating in negotiations. Nevertheless, he added, “UC, and UCSF, are committed to compensating employees fairly and competitively with the market.”
