UC service and patient care workers across the state picketed, on Wednesday, demanding higher pay in their contract negotiations.
UC San Diego Health service and patient care workers with AFSCME Local 3299 picket in protest of what they call unfair contract negotiations, Wednesday, La Jolla, Calif., March 20, 2024 Front-line workers for the University of California said they are tired of struggling to afford housing and other basic needs.
They are demanding higher pay and equity in their current contract negotiations with the university system.“It’s horrific. We do not make enough money to make ends meet. It’s the economy. It's everything," saidShe joined dozens of coworkers on the picket line outside UC San Diego Health facilities in La Jolla. Approximately 33,000 UC workers are represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union.Dina Johnson is the operating room instrument coordinator at the Jacobs Medical Center. She is also a single mother of a son and daughter.“With the wage that they have here, it’s not enough. Because if you have to work overtime every day just to make ends meet, and just to feed your family, it's not fair," Johnson said.Dina Johnson is a single mother supporting her son and daughter. The family lives in City Heights unable to afford housing in La Jolla close to her job at the Jacobs Medical Center. They are seen in this undated photo.Workers want a minimum wage set of at least $25 an hour and an immediate 5% pay increase.The union also wants the UC to stop investing some of the employee pension money in the, a company known for high-priced housing which many workers can’t afford. “They are making housing unaffordable. It is causing a burden on taxpayers in the form of increased homelessness and to lean on the social system," said Pamela Cale, a UC San Diego Health inpatient medical coder."The University of California recognizes housing affordability is challenging for all Californians, including UC students, faculty, and staff. We are committed to recognizing our union-represented employees with competitive compensation packages as part of their employment. While UC has no control over statewide rents or housing costs, we know the cost of living in California is high...negotiations will continue until both sides reach mutually beneficial agreements."The current contract with AFSCME Local 3299 is set to expire on July 31.
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