During August, UPTE members at every UC campus and medical center across the state hosted mass meetings to share bargaining updates and talk about the importance of getting strike-ready. In a powerful display of our solidarity, thousands of healthcare, research, and technical workers came out to participate and sign their strike commitment pledges.

UC can’t pretend that they don’t know or understand our issues. At every bargaining session, members have shown up in force to pack the room in support of our demands. 

We’ve shared first-hand testimony in support of our demands—the researcher who schedules their lunch around when the food bank truck is close to their worksite because they can’t afford to survive on what UC is paying them, the campus mental health clinician who worries about having enough staff to work with students struggling with stress or even suicidality, and more.

We have the power together to win this contract, but we won’t win it just because your bargaining team members are arguing at the table. We have to win it through collective action. If you haven’t already, sign your strike commitment pledge today at upte.org/strike.

When Marco returned to UC Irvine's "All of Us" program in 2022, the environment seemed more stable. Having worked on and off for UCI since 2013, including time spent in the dialysis department, Marco was no stranger to the challenges of working in healthcare at a large institution. But the stability he hoped for in the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-sponsored genetics program quickly unraveled as the uncertainty of layoffs threw everything into chaos.

When the NIH cut funding, UCI management responded with layoffs that blindsided the team. Initially, management claimed only 2-3 people would be let go. In reality, it was much worse—eight people were suddenly gone. The staff who remained, including Marco, were expected to absorb the workload, covering multiple clinics without any additional support.

What was once manageable became nearly impossible. The pressure to maintain numbers was overwhelming, with management demanding that staff double their recruitment and retention rates—from 3-4 patients a day to 8—despite the reduced workforce. “It was really nerve-racking and unfair,” Marco recalled.

As a union, Marco and his colleagues forced a meeting with management and the message was clear: either bring back staff to meet the numbers, or adjust expectations. “When management tried to push back, our UPTE team stood firm. Our local organizer helped give us the tools and confidence to know our rights and how to fight back, and it worked—management relented by readjusting our workload expectations to match the smaller staff size.”

The inpatient rehab therapists at UCSF Parnassus have secured a significant victory regarding their weekend work schedules. Previously required to work two weekend days every five weeks, these dedicated healthcare workers will now only need to work one weekend day per month. The change follows a coordinated effort by the therapists, who highlighted the impact of the demanding schedule on their work-life balance through strategic data collection and engagement with management.
“We realized that after thinking about the actual problem, it was more like we’re not doing our best at this moment to make the most of our resources,” explained Amanda Chow, a Physical Therapist 3 of almost five years at UCSF Health. “Ultimately, if we don’t have a proper schedule, then, at the end of the day, that impacts patient care."

After a march on the boss last year, during which UCSF healthcare workers demanded a substantive change to the weekend schedule policy, UPTE members once again escalated the issue with management. Their latest example of collective action involved them presenting their findings as a united front, detailing data points showing better patient outcomes, preventing severe burnout, and higher morale within the department.

After the joint effort by the inpatient rehab therapists, management acquiesced to the workers’ demands and changed the weekend schedule policy. The new schedule for inpatient rehab therapists is set to take effect in October, marking a significant step forward for UCSF healthcare professionals who must balance the demands of their critical work with their personal lives.

Although strong contracts aren’t won by expert negotiators alone, having frontline members from every campus and across job titles is essential. We are the subject matter experts in our day-to-day work and know better than anyone what we need to advance our world-changing research, provide life-saving patient care, and make sure our technical expertise is respected.

UPTE’s bargaining team at UC is comprised of members from a range of healthcare, research, and technical job titles from each UC campus and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Each month, we’ll highlight members of our bargaining team. You can also find a full roster of our bargaining team here.

How will winning a strong contract help your work or the people who benefit from your work?

Amy: I think it would aid retention for sure. We’ve had a lot of turnover in my department of late and recruitment has gotten harder due to the pay and when we do hire people they are sometimes already planning to leave. I love my work and my department and want our amazing staff to be able to build a career here if they choose.

Danielle: A strong contract means recruiting and retaining the best technicians. When individuals can go to work knowing that they aren’t just making “ends meet” and can actually enjoy life outside of work, they become happier and want to stay. Having a job that supports you while also working with our furry, feathered and scaly friends is a dream come true. Great technicians are the difference between groundbreaking research, top quality patient (pet) care, and food-animal health. It’s a win-win for everyone, especially the UC.

Sonya: If we had a contract that prioritized recruiting and retaining the best social workers in the state, we would become competitive again. Right now, it's an open joke that UC is a training ground for Kaiser's and other hospitals' social workers. We deserve to be held and supported by UC in the way we support our patients. Winning a strong contract would allow us to stay and continue setting the standard for what world-class social work service is. It would make UC Davis a magnet for the best, and that is what our patients, clients, students, and community deserve.

Anastasia: Winning a strong contract would ensure that our patients continue to get the best care possible by attracting and retaining the specialized staff that we have. Therapists who work with our most vulnerable populations will get the pay that they deserve and have some work/life balance so they won't be so burned out that they leave.

UPTE members at Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) have a new contract! Between July 8 and 12, 2024, nearly one hundred UPTE Associate Faculty members cast their ballots to unanimously ratify their new contract with the administration of MSJC.

Santino Labbate, an associate faculty member in the physics department at MSJC's Menifee Valley Campus, has been advocating for associate faculty rights. With twelve years of experience at the University of Redlands, Santino brought his passion for education and justice to MSJC. "At the beginning of working for MSJC, I felt alone because I was new and didn't know anyone," he shared. This sense of isolation fueled his involvement with the union, where he found a community and a platform to address critical issues.

The journey to the recent contract victory was challenging. Traditional bargaining methods with the administration proved unfruitful, leading to impasse and mediation. Santino remarked, "The district filed for an impasse, so we decided to rally at the State of the College address at the Menifee Valley Campus. We made signs, making our presence known to donors, stakeholders, investors, board members, and the president. We wanted to let people know that despite some apparent successes, associate faculty are still treated like dirt." The rally was a crucial step in raising awareness among the community and student population about the struggles faced by associate faculty.

Together, workers will continue building a stronger, more inclusive union that represents the goals and priorities of every UPTE associate faculty member at MSJC.

Earlier this year, UPTE members across the UC system nominated and elected colleagues to represent us as members of our union's bargaining team for our current contract negotiations. Our bargaining team's composition was designed to ensure we had people from each campus and area of expertise in healthcare, research, and technical job titles present at the bargaining table to make sure that we could speak confidently and with first-hand knowledge on the issues impacting UPTE members.

UC didn't seem to think having that experience in the room was important. When we gathered for our first bargaining sessions, first at UC San Diego and later at UCSF, UC leadership refused to release Lalaine Rojo, a lab assistant and one of our elected bargaining team members, from work to participate in negotiations on behalf of UPTE members.

Lalaine has spent the last ten years working at UCSF, where she is a Lab Assistant II working in the Anatomy Department. She takes her role as a voice for her colleagues as both an UPTE Unit Representative and bargaining team member seriously, saying, "I've always been the kind of person who fights against injustice. We have to choose our battles, sure, but we shouldn't just stay silent and accept unjust circumstances. I want to make sure I'm here to speak up about the challenges lab assistants face, and why UC needs to take our concerns seriously."

You can watch a video of that march on the boss on UPTE's social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter).

For over seven decades, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has leveraged science and technology to make the world a safer place. The laboratory is a premier, world-leading, federally funded research and development center because its skilled crafts employees, represented by UPTE, have kept the lights on.

Between July 10 and 16, 2024, hundreds of members unanimously cast their ballots to ratify the "2024 UPTE LLNL Contract Platform," a unified statement of the priorities that will be included in bargaining with management, as identified in our bargaining survey.

"Ensuring we have comprehensive and affordable health coverage means peace of mind, knowing that we can handle any medical challenges that come our way," said Robert Perez, a laboratory carpenter. "It's not just about immediate care; it's about long-term security and well-being. Improving our retirement benefits is equally crucial. After dedicating years of hard work and expertise to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, we deserve to retire with dignity and economic security."

The 2024 UPTE LLNL Contract Platform demands competitive wages, better benefits, and fairness at work. These priorities are designed to address issues, including severe recruitment and retention cases and a lack of respect from management. The contract platform represents UPTE's core values, including the belief that workers should have more time to spend with their families and loved ones.

Securing strong contracts requires more than just skilled negotiators; it hinges on the active involvement of frontline members from every campus and lab across diverse job titles. Our daily experiences make us the true subject matter experts, giving us unique insights into what is needed to drive forward our groundbreaking research, deliver critical patient care, and ensure our technical skills are duly recognized.

The 25 dedicated members comprise the UPTE bargaining team at the University of California (UC). They represent a variety of healthcare, research, and technical positions across all UC campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Each month, we will spotlight different members of our bargaining team from various UC locations and departments. You can view the complete list of our bargaining team members here.

Eduardo de Ugarte is a Senior Graphic Designer and UPTE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Chapter 184 Chair.

What motivated you to run for the bargaining team?
“I am motivated to advocate for fair treatment, living wages, and better working conditions for the workforce. Collective bargaining ensures everyone’s voice is heard and benefits all members. I aim to create a supportive and equitable work environment that respects everyone’s rights and needs. We’ve found many opportunities to improve retention, recruitment, efficiency, and morale, supporting our research, healthcare services, patient outcomes, and the mission of LBNL and UC.”

This year's UPTE Convention will be held in San Diego, California, from Saturday, September 28, to Sunday, September 29, 2024. The voting period to elect your 2024 UPTE Convention Delegates has concluded, and we extend our gratitude to all candidates for their participation.

Each campus or workplace was allotted a proportional number of delegate positions, with candidates who received the highest number of votes being considered elected. At campuses where the number of candidates was equal to or less than the number of allotted delegate seats, candidates are considered elected by acclamation.

Please find a full list of elected delegates at www.upte.org/elections. Delegates can expect to continue receiving information about next steps soon.