- Emewodesh Eshete | Senior Staff
- Feb 27, 2025 (DialyCal.org)
The local American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, and the University Professional and Technical Employees, or UPTE, are on strike, citing alleged unfair labor practices, and the hopes of bargaining for a contract that meets their needs.
Hundreds of union members and supporters gathered on Sproul Plaza and rallied around campus Wednesday, playing music, chanting and holding signs that read “on strike for our patients, for our research, for our students.” Statewide, 37,000 AFSCME members and nearly 20,000 UPTE members have been on strike since midnight Wednesday and will be through Thursday and Friday, respectively.
“You earn the right to come to a university and you’re broke to go there, you’re starving — this should not be tolerated,” said Rodney Enis, bargaining team member of UC Berkeley’s AFSCME 3299. “So we need them to come back to the bargaining table with some real offers.”
Since their last strike that occurred between Nov. 20-21, Enis noted it went back to the bargaining table and met for two days, however, he stated that it didn’t get much accomplished. Jamie Gardner, UPTE bargaining team member and picket leader echoed this statement. He noted that the university had started negotiations six months before their contract expired, but once it did, he said union members did not receive an initial salary offer.
Heather Hansen, a spokesperson for the University of California’s Office of the President, or UCOP, said in an email that the UPTE has walked away from negotiations, and AFSCME has not responded to the university’s proposals or counter proposals since May 2024. Hansen added that these unions need to “walk the walk” and bargain.
The UC system’s current offer for UPTE is that by July 1, 2025, there will be a 5% across-the-board salary increase and 3% for second and third years, raising the pay to at least $25 an hour by this date.
For AFSCME, it offered the same wage increase, including 4% by 2026 and 3% in 2027-29. Health care premium packets will include a reduction of up to $125. Both unions were also offered expanded access to guaranteed vacation approval and sick leave, in addition to Juneteenth as a paid holiday.
“We’re ready to go back to the table but they need to have something to talk about in order for us to negotiate,” Gardner said.
Enis added that when it spoke with the university a few weeks ago in San Francisco, it offered AFSCME a “supposal” — or an unofficial proposal — and when the union decided that it didn’t agree with what was listed, it tore up the unofficial proposal in their faces. This was the last time the union spoke to the university, Enis said.
In a press release, the UC system noted that it was “disappointed” that AFSCME and UPTE planned to strike rather than “negotiating in good faith.” Gardner noted that it had gone through negotiations, sent the university its proposals and not gotten much back. Both parties agreed they had reached an impasse.
“I’ve been traveling around the state every two weeks, missing work, for six months, and they have not brought forth anything that I can take back to my members,” Gardner said. “They’ve shut down conversation on a lot of important topics, including ones that are not just financial, but that are dignity and burnout.”
Lisa Bell, a medical assistant at the University Health Services Tang Center and AFSCME union member, said she has been involved in three strikes for her union since 2005. She noted patient care is important to her but has to step away from that to “fight for what we deserve.”
Enis noted that he hopes the university will come to the table with an offer that it can negotiate.
“We need them to come to the table with their final offer, with someone who could actually negotiate without having to get approval from their boss and understand that we’re not going away,” Enis said. “We’re here to stay, and we’re pissed off.”
