UPTE EVP Matias Campos: “Hundreds of new members join UPTE amid UC’s hospital acquisitions, adding to our collective strength”
The University of California recently completed the purchase of several hospitals, including Lakewood Regional Medical Center, Los Alamitos Medical Center, Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, Placentia Linda Hospital, Alvarado Hospital Medical Center, and West Hills Hospital and Medical Center—with more in the works.
These acquisitions have brought hundreds of new members into our union, with more to come, growing our collective strength and power as we prepare for our upcoming negotiations. UPTE has been hard at work to ensure that the rights and working conditions of new and existing members are protected throughout this process.
As a pharmacist, an UPTE chapter co-chair at UCSF, and our union’s statewide Executive Vice President, I am excited to see this growth in our bargaining units.
In a testament to our growing strength and power, we secured strong agreements with UC that will protect both the standards we have fought and won for ourselves as well as the security of our newest members. As these newest members transition into our union and their new careers at UC, we are proud to say that as a result of our negotiations:
No incoming worker will have their pay reduced.
Seniority rights will remain intact, including vacation and sick accrual rates.
We will have a standing arbitrator to mediate disputes over title and step placement for incoming members.
These are substantial wins not just for these new UC workers, but for existing UPTE members as well. UC had originally wanted to keep these new workers out of our union altogether, setting the stage for years of costly litigation. In the meantime, UC may have attempted to use these workers to cross future UPTE picket lines or undermine our efforts to improve standards across the board during this year’s negotiations.
Instead, having hundreds of new members join our union will put us in a stronger position as we prepare to head to the table and bargain our next contract. Looking at what we have been able to accomplish for our newest members, I feel even more confident that the work we’ve done over the last few years to grow our strength as a union is paying off.
I can’t wait to get to know our newest members, and I hope you feel the same way. We’re stronger than ever having them as part of the UPTE family.
