The contract between the University of California and a union representing thousands of workers across the system is about to expire.
About 60 members and supporters of University Professional and Technical Employees CWA Local 9119 (UPTE) gathered on the UC Santa Cruz campus Thursday afternoon. They were there to rally in support of an impending strike authorization vote. UPTE represents 19,000 healthcare, technical, and research workers UC-wide, including 238 at UCSC.
Contract negotiations have been underway for nearly five months, and this week marks the final bargaining session — held at UCSC — before the contract expires.
Jamie Gardner, a UC Berkeley Staff Research Associate II, is on the union’s bargaining team. He said there are three main areas where the University is falling short.
“Work-life balance, pay, and job stability and security are sort of three big areas,” Gardner said.
He added that the University also recently announced increases to employee healthcare costs without discussing the changes with the union.
Joshua Gardner — no relation to Jamie — is an SRA IV at the Genomics Institute at UCSC and a UPTE member. He’s bracing for his monthly medical costs to skyrocket.
“I have rheumatoid arthritis, which is an incurable disease, and I require specialty medication for that,” Gardner said. “My medications — there's two specialty medications I'm taking — will cost me $150 a month for each of those.” Which, he said, would be six times as much as he’s paying now.
In a statement, Heather Hansen, a spokesperson for the UC system, expressed disappointment with UPTE’s bargaining tactics.
“It seems like no matter what we presented at the table, striking was a foregone conclusion,” Hansen wrote.
If the two sides fail to reach an agreement by Oct. 21, UPTE will begin holding strike authorization votes at some or all UC campuses.
