On Tuesday approximately 20,000 University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE) at every University of California healthcare center, campus, and key laboratories participated in an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike.

Workers stated they participated in the strike after the UC’s engaged in a pattern of illegal behavior including continued attempts to unilaterally and unlawfully increase health insurance costs for some of the most vulnerable union members outside of the bargaining process.

UPTE also claims UC has forced newly organized groups of workers into their own separate negotiation process as an illegal “divide-and-conquer” strategy.

“Students come to us for help navigating challenges like loss, mental health crises, substance use, assault, and more, and are often met with long wait times and difficulty receiving care. It’s frustrating that instead of engaging with us in a meaningful way to address the staffing crisis, UC is refusing to seriously consider proposals from the workers who support student mental health, or sincerely discuss any of the proposals that have been brought forth to address the staffing crisis that is rampant across the UC. Forcing newly-organized workers into their own separate bargaining tables is a trick to delay negotiations and demoralize workers, and does nothing to help students,” said Angie Bryan, a behavioral health clinician at UC Santa Barbara.

Among the workers who participated in the strike are are physician assistants, optometrists, pharmacists, RN case managers, rehabilitation specialists, mental health clinicians, clinical lab scientists, staff research associates, IT analysts, and more. UPTE describes these workers as professionals who support UC students, provide world-class patient care at all UC hospitals and medical centers, and drive cutting-edge research on critical issues such as climate change, food sustainability, virology, and genomics. Also included are workers at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab (CAHFS), the only facility in the state authorized to confirm high-risk bird flu cases.

“Patients might wait three months for an optometry appointment, and if they need to see an ophthalmologist, that wait could exceed six months. When I see patients for follow-up, it’s often later than what I would consider optimal simply because our schedule is so backed up. When you need help with your vision, even a short delay can greatly disrupt your life. It’s disappointing that UC would rather ignore our suggestions on how to make things better than commit to addressing the staffing crisis we’re dealing with. How does illegally increasing healthcare costs address any of this?” said Andrew Vo, optometrist at UC San Diego Health.

UC President Michael Drake’s recent announcement of a system-wide hiring freeze sent ripples of concern through the community. The news has been particularly significant for Santa Barbara County, where UC Santa Barbara ranks as the largest employer with over 10,000 workers.

Between October 2018 and 2023, the number of senior executive leaders grew by 42.5%, while the number of front-line professional and support staff increased by only 18.6%. Additionally, UC plans to spend over $30 billion between FY 2023-29 on capital projects, public-private partnerships, and the acquisition of hospitals and medical centers. Meanwhile, UC continues to experience a 54% turnover rate among healthcare workers and a 67% turnover rate among researchers over the past five years.

UPTE states UC has refused to make any progress at the bargaining table, including rejecting zero-cost proposals that would attempt to address the staffing crisis.

UPTE members have been bargaining for eight months, with all contracts having expired in October 2024.

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