Thousands of patient care and service workers at the UC San Diego Medical Center and other University of California campuses across the state will stage a two-day strike starting Wednesday, alleging unfair bargaining tactics, allegations the UC system denies. According to the AFSCME Local 3299 union, the strike will include roughly 37,000 UC workers “at every UC campus and medical facility across the state.” The strike will begin at midnight Wednesday morning and continue until midnight Thursday night.
Picketing will be held both days from 7 a.m. to 4 p.
m. “The University’s serial lawbreaking at the bargaining table means that the epidemic of understaffing at UC facilities, and the related cost of living and housing affordability crises plaguing frontline UC workers are only getting worse,” AFSCME Local 3299 President Michael Avant said in a statement. “By failing to meet its most basic legal responsibilities to the dedicated professionals who clean its facilities, serve students food, and treat its patients, UC has left workers with no choice but to exercise their legal right to strike.
” The UC system issued a statement earlier this month when the strike notice was issued, saying officials “fundamentally disagree with AFSCME’s claims of bad faith bargaining and characterization of unacceptable bargaining proposals.” UC officials said the university and union had a robust series of meetings and exchanges of various contract proposals between January and Ma.