At UCSF, campus social workers win 14-15% equity increases to address turnover and ensure services remain properly staffed

For years, UCSF Campus social workers have been chronically underpaid compared to their counterparts at UCSF Health, despite doing similar work. These clinical social workers, who work primarily in the Zuckerberg San Francisco General divisions, engage clients across categories of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, country of origin, and class who are often excluded or underserved by other systems of care. Their clients are among San Francisco's most vulnerable residents.

Inadequate compensation for these social workers only deepens the disparities in the services that these clients receive. The job of a social worker is rooted in establishing trust with clients—when these workers are forced to hold down multiple jobs to get by or are forced to leave for better-paying work elsewhere, it's ultimately the clients who suffer. 

For years, workers were told that raises weren't possible because funding for campus social work positions comes from the City and County of San Francisco or other external sources. We also knew UC's track record of claiming they have no money when they actually do. On July 20, over 30 campus social workers delivered a petition with 100+ signatures (a supermajority of campus social workers) to the chair of the psychiatry department, who oversees most of these positions.

The petition demanded pay equity both within each job classification and through reclassifying those who are classified lower than someone with the same experience at UCSF Health would be—and on August 28, we got word that we had won the increases we've been fighting for.

"For me, this fight for pay equity comes from a deep love for my work, my colleagues, and our clients. Equitable pay is crucial to keeping dedicated and skillful clinicians in the job so that our clients can receive consistent support from the social workers they have grown to trust and connect with," said Brenna Alexander, a Clinical Social Worker II at UCSF. "Just as our clients deserve high quality, compassionate care, campus clinicians deserve pay that allows us to stay present in this city and engaged with the most vulnerable folks in our community."

We were notified that those in the Clinical Social Worker 1, 2, and 3 classifications within the Department of Psychiatry will all be moved up 7 steps on the wage scale, which amounts to a 14-15% wage increase for most people.

UCSF leadership has claimed they couldn't do anything to address social worker pay inequity for years. By joining together and organizing, we were finally able to achieve more equitable pay for social workers. This is a tremendous victory for our union, but we aren't finished. This increase leaves out those in the Social Work Associate classification and those not in the Department of Psychiatry. It also doesn't address the misclassification of many Clinical Social Workers, and we will continue to fight for those people to get what they deserve. 

To get involved, please contact UPTE Organizer Maureen at mflaherman@upte.org.