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University of California Workers Set First Systemwide Open-Ended Strike for May 14

The union says UC refused to bargain on housing aid.

The union for thousands of University of California workers announced its first open-ended strike to begin on May 14 at all UC medical centers and campuses to protest what it calls unfair negotiations by the university. The union, AFSCME 3299, typically holds one-day strikes, such as this one at UCSF in 2019. 
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Overview

  • AFSCME Local 3299, which announced the plan Wednesday, will begin an open-ended strike on May 14 covering 42,000 service and patient-care workers across all 10 campuses and five medical centers.
  • The union says stalled talks, UC’s refusal to negotiate housing assistance, and unilateral changes that raise healthcare costs led to the walkout.
  • Union leaders say they gave one month’s notice to allow contingency plans and will exempt critical care workers to protect patient safety.
  • UC says it has offered about 32% total pay growth with a $25 hourly wage floor, longevity pay, and caps or offsets to ease healthcare costs, and it disputes the unfair-labor-practice claims.
  • Contracts expired in 2024 after brief strikes in late 2024 and early 2025, and the union labels this action an unfair labor practice strike, which by law blocks permanent replacement of strikers.