Citing what they say are unfair labor practices, union workers plan to stage a one-day strike Tuesday at University of California medical and academic campuses statewide, including UC San Diego.
UC San Diego Health said Monday that it expects little impact to patients from the strike with all facilities expected to remain “open and operational.” It was not clear Monday afternoon whether some scheduled appointments set for Tuesday have been rescheduled.
A statement from the UCSD academic communications office said that “some disruption” is expected outside main medical facilities, which may require adjustments “based on staffing levels.”
It’s the second such work stoppage of 2025 for the University Professional and Technical Employees Local 9119 which represents about 20,000 university employees, including about 4,000 at UCSD, including physician assistants, optometrists, pharmacists, case managers and rehabilitation specialits.
Also striking in solidarity are members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 which represents UC service workers, including medical technicians, therapists, custodians and food service workers.
Both unions walked out in late February after holding initial demonstrations in late 2024. Generally, bargaining has revolved around wages, benefits and staffing levels.
A newly filed unfair labor practices charge filed by UPTE with the California Public Employee Relations Board accuses the university of unfairly refusing to consider behavioral health counselors and research and development engineers as part of the bargaining unit that has been seeking a contract since 2024.
If it occurs as planned, the strike will proceed during a particularly tense moment for every UC campus in the state. All are reeling from proposed cuts to research funding and are expecting to lose significant revenue if the federal government slashes reimbursements for Medicaid and Medicare, as has been widely speculated since the Trump administration began making executive orders in January.
In a statement published Mar. 21, the university cites the current funding climate.
“These strikes put a significant financial strain on UC, costing the system millions of dollars,” the statement said.
Union representatives were unswayed by the questions surrounding federal funding.
“While we’re against any NIH or Medicare cuts, the fact is UC hospital revenues have doubled in the last decade, and its hospitals make billions in profits every year,” said Kari Hernandez Salcedo, strategic communications director for AFSCME Local 3299. “UC has been rapidly acquiring new hospitals and building new facilities and sits on more than $10 billion in unrestricted reserves.
“It has refused to invest in the frontline workers who make it run. Instead, it’s granted massive raises, free housing and other perks to its executives while our members are being forced to sleep in their cars because they can’t afford to live near their jobs. This isn’t about not having the money — it’s about not having the right priorities.”
The university bristles at the notion that it is not making solid offers to those who keep its campuses running.
“To date, these offers include competitive wage increases over the life of the contract, healthcare premium reductions for lower-paid workers, expanded sick leave and increased vacation use rights,” the university statement said. “It’s disheartening to hear mischaracterizations of our positions and actions during these negotiations, as we’ve been genuinely trying to find solutions that work for everyone.”
UPTE and the university began negotiating in June 2024. The university publishes the details of its contract offers on its website, indicating that it has offered all members 5% pay increases in 2025, with 2% bumps in 2026 and 2027. Workers also receive 2% “step” wage increases as they gain seniority in their jobs.
The university says median rates for “clinical professional” roles are $70 per hour, while those working in research make a median of nearly $34 per hour and those in information technology make nearly $42.
The AFSCME proposal, according to the university, would increase pay by 15% to 16% through 2029.
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