Tim Wilson is an Assistant Museum Scientist who has worked as a film prep technician at UCLA's Film & Television Archive for over 13 years after a career as an assistant film editor on feature films. Along with his fellow UPTE unit representatives around the state, Tim has been helping spread the word about the upcoming platform ratification and bargaining team election vote among his colleagues.

"I've been doing a lot of meetings with groups in the RX classification. We've been sharing the pamphlet that lays out our tentative platform for negotiations as a jumping-off point for discussions, and so far people have been really excited about everything they've seen in there," Tim said.

Although the platform resonates broadly with Tim and his colleagues, fair pay and career progression is an important priority for them. "Our expertise is rare, but sustaining a career at UC can be challenging for us because the pay is not great and many people deserve reclassification," said Tim. But he feels confident that by continuing to take action and demonstrate our unity, we'll be able to win a strong next contract with UC in this year's negotiations. "This is all about showing numbers to the UC. We're focused on maintaining high membership levels and participation among our group in the RX unit and we encourage everyone else to do the same by participating in the platform ratification process."

In a profession where resilience meets compassion, social workers provide support for countless people navigating all of life's difficulties. Among these dedicated professionals is Sonya Mogilner, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) of nearly eight years. Sonya is a UPTE unit representative at UC Davis Medical Center, California's only Level 1 Trauma Center north of San Francisco.

"I never really fancied myself as a union girl or a leader," Sonya conveyed. "When I first came here, I had a horrible boss. I felt she was trying to get me to quit. I filed and ultimately won a grievance against her. After that, I felt unstoppable. I was like, 'I'm out here.' I stuck my neck out, and I won."

As the United States observes Social Work Month in March, the spotlight on social workers like Sonya underscores the essential, yet often overlooked, roles they play in society. "It's about being there on what could be the worst day of a patient's life, offering not just care, but a shoulder to lean on, guidance, and hope," Sonya articulates, capturing the essence of her profession's mission. Sonya is at the forefront of a campaign advocating for market equity adjustments for LCSWs, emphasizing that "this petition is more than just about pay; it's about respect, recognition, and the sustainability of our profession."

Show your support by signing their petition at upte.org/lcsw.

UPTE behavioral health clinicians at UC Santa Cruz recently showcased their dedication to their profession by taking their grievances directly to the campus's administration. In their march on John Bollard, Associate Vice Chancellor and Student Health & Wellness Chief Well-being Officer, these committed professionals demanded the recognition and respect their vital work deserves.

Amelia Cutten, a Behavioral Health Counselor 3 working at UC Santa Cruz for four-and-a-half years and a UPTE Healthcare Professionals Unit Representative, highlighted the critical nature of their roles: "Every day, we're on the front lines, offering support and guidance to students navigating the complexities of mental health challenges. Our work is not just about counseling; it's about creating a safe, supportive environment that fosters growth and healing."

"Our hope is that these actions will bring to light the importance of what we do at Counseling and Psychological Services and lead to a meaningful engagement with the administration," Amelia continued. In demanding recognition, behavioral health clinicians highlight an often-overlooked truth: that the health of any academic institution lies not just in its achievements and accolades but in the strength and support of its student community. "We are here not just for ourselves but for the betterment of the entire university community."

At UCLA, the systems administrators who keep the lights on, the computer systems functioning, and videos streaming at their highest quality recently flexed their collective muscle. Ernie Ibarra, a System Administrator 3 at the University of California, Los Angeles, for over twenty-five years, and his colleagues recently staged a march on the Executive Vice Chancellor to call for fairness in pay and recognition of their essential contributions.

Ernie highlighted that researching targets for petitions is an excellent way to move coworkers into becoming more active as UPTE members: "It's about stirring and encouraging them to take action, whether signing a petition or participating in a march. Once we identified Hunt as a target, we saw increased engagement. Notably, individuals who had been inactive for over three years suddenly participated by signing our petition. That was intriguing, especially considering some of these individuals had never before taken part in any of our initiatives since joining UPTE."

The petition, a document laden with the collective aspirations and grievances of UCLA's IT workforce, underscored the stark disparities in pay between UCLA and other UC campuses despite the escalating cost of living in Los Angeles. "We are not asking for more than we deserve; we are asking for equity and recognition," Ernie expressed, encapsulating the essence of their campaign.

Extreme weather events across California did not deter UPTE optometrists from striking. On February 6 and 7, 2024, these healthcare professionals participated in an unfair labor practice strike with a clear message to UC: Stop your union-busting and bad-faith bargaining tactics and address the issues optometrists are demanding and their patients deserve.

"In February, over a thousand people—fellow UPTE members, community supporters, university students, other labor unions, and public officials— joined us on the frontline, battling through harsh winds and relentless rain, standing firm against the oppressive tactics of UC," said Lauren Guajardo, an Optometrist 3, working at the University of California, Davis. "Together, we made our demands clear to the University of California: End your union-busting tactics and bad-faith bargaining now. Address the urgent demands of optometrists and the rightful needs of our patients. It's time for action, not excuses."

"Our recent two-day unfair labor practice strike demonstrated our refusal to let UC undermine negotiations and our efforts to improve recruitment, retention, and patient care," conveyed Dan Russell, the president of UPTE. "As we continue preparations for full contract negotiations later this year, we should take every opportunity to show the University that we will not stand for its attempts to undermine our rights."

Optometrists are set to bargain next with UC in late March. Their resolve and vision are clear: UC optometrists will continue fighting for good-faith bargaining during contract negotiations and—ultimately—a contract that puts patient care front and center.

The University of California is the third largest employer in our state. Workers like us at UC are responsible for providing life-saving medical treatment to millions of patients, life-changing higher education to hundreds of thousands of students, and world-changing research to benefit humanity.

As one of the most influential employers in our state, and one of our largest public institutions, UC also has a responsibility to raise standards for all Californians. What is preventing UC from investing in front-line staff and prioritizing its mission? High compensation for an ever-increasing number of senior administrators and executives, unnecessarily large investment pools, and massive expenditures on consulting, marketing, construction, and land acquisition.

In our bargaining survey, the majority of our members said they did not believe UC was doing all it can to provide the best patient care, education, and research. More than 95% of you said that UC should be setting better standards for what it means to live and work in our state.

Our 2024 contract fight is our opportunity to reshape our work lives across UC for the years to come. Let's make UC give us the resources and support we need to care for our patients, conduct our research, and support our students.

Social workers in the UCSF Parnassus Emergency Department (ED) do challenging work with vulnerable populations. They cover shifts seven days a week with close to 24/7 coverage. Their work can be dangerous—as a methamphetamine epidemic ravages San Francisco, people struggling with addiction who are often living on the street are brought to the ED on involuntary psychiatric holds or for jail clearance to be medicated and restrained.

"You really see what poverty and addiction look like firsthand. We care for some of San Francisco's most marginalized people with lots of trauma and untreated mental illness. There aren't enough psych beds for people, especially the uninsured or people with Medi-Cal," said Cecily Donegan, a Social Worker in the UCSF Parnassus ED. "We only have four secure rooms and sometimes have 10-15 people on a psych hold. Workplace violence is a real concern for us."

Together, Cecily and her coworkers wrote a list of demands covering their schedule, need for appropriate staffing, and their compensation concerns. They delivered the demands together to the head of their department, which resulted in a meeting and further discussion. Almost immediately, they won a schedule change that has been a tremendous benefit to their team, with more discussions ongoing.

Mental health workers across UC are standing up and advocating for themselves and the important mental health care they provide. On January 10, over 20 health professionals at UC Santa Barbara delivered a petition and met with Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs to express concerns about workload and cost of living, while Behavioral Health Workers at UC Riverside successfully petitioned for reclassification.

UC administrators have failed to staff up campus mental health services to meet demand. Clinicians are concerned about delays in care for students who need help managing stress, depression, substance abuse, and suicidality. Frontline mental health workers are struggling with stress and trauma of their own, as many worry about making ends meet.

"Many of us sacrifice with long commutes and high costs of living to work with our students. We often have to refer high-acuity students to outside providers, often resulting in further delays, compromised care, and increased complications with insurance," said Brandi McCallister, a Clinical Social Worker 3 at UCSB Student Health. "UCSB must provide easily accessible care to students. That's why almost every CAPs and Student Health professional signed our petition asking for an equity pay increase so that mental health workers can fulfill UC's promise to its students."

UC Irvine's nurse navigators (also sometimes called case managers) are responsible for coordinating all of the cancer patient's treatment and care plans while also providing education and emotional support during this difficult time in their lives. Oncology nurse navigators specialize in assisting cancer patients and their families with navigating the complex healthcare system by playing an important role in ensuring that all aspects of patient care run smoothly, from diagnosis to treatment and survivorship.

Last year, UC Irvine management went a step further by trying to take away the nurse navigators' work spaces, leaving many without a desk and some forced to work in common areas that are disruptive. Having assigned cubicles is more important than you might think for nurse navigators—these workers have lots of sensitive documentation that they handle every day, including insurance information, patient health information, discharge plan and continuing care paperwork, and more.

"Since our petition and march on the boss campaign, I can definitely notice a difference in the way that Labor Relations and management interact with us. They are much more likely to go out of their way to get our input or run things by us first, which at the end of the day is the kind of dignity and respect we all deserve from management," said Sarah Pinka-Majchrowski, a Nurse Navigator at UC Irvine. "They have committed to hiring more nurses, which will make it easier for us to take PTO or vacation to avoid burnout.”

For over a year, our optometrist colleagues at the University of California have faced UC's bad-faith bargaining, resulting in prolonged negotiations and the loss of skilled staff. UC's initial proposals have been unacceptably low. They've refused to discuss pressing issues like pay scale placement and have failed to promptly provide the necessary information for us to bargain effectively.

Fed up with UC's unfair labor practices, our optometrist members overwhelmingly voted to hold a ULP strike on February 6 and 7, 2024. Optometrists across the state will be on strike, but picket line locations will be concentrated in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Davis, and San Diego.

In addition to conducting routine eye care, optometrists perform triage, pre- and post-op procedures, handle complicated referrals, and work with vulnerable populations in clinics across the state. Despite their efforts to secure a contract that will invest in the care they provide, optometrists report increasing patient loads, short-staffing, and below-market pay. This leads to recruitment and retention issues, which result in delayed care for patients.

Earlier this year, a delegation of workers marched on the boss at Scripps Institution of Oceanography to demand a solution to longstanding issues with the Remote Location Allowance (RLA). For many years, Scripps has grappled with two disparate compensation systems for members engaged in sea-based operations under the RLA: one that provides base pay plus a 60% differential and the other base pay plus 140%.

"Whether you're out at sea for a short three weeks or for several months, you're working 12 hours a day, seven days a week. The RLA policy is supposed to make sure we are paid a fair day rate while out at sea and that when we return to land, we can make up all of the holidays and weekends we missed while on an expedition," said Melissa Miller, an SRA 2 at Scripps.

There are a number of different sea-faring departments at Scripps, including Climate Atmospheric Sciences and Physical Oceanography (CAPSO), Integrative Oceanography Division (IOD), and Shipboard Technical Support (STS). Historically, people in departments including CAPSO and IOD received the higher compensation level but those in STS received the lower RLA standard despite these departments working alongside each other on the same expeditions.

In June of 2023, healthcare workers at Venice Family Clinic (VFC) joined our union. Ever since, they have been getting organized and ready to fight for a fair contract and to stop harmful service cuts. The clinic, which serves communities across the west side of Los Angeles, is an affiliate of UCLA Health and UPTE members employed there are on UCLA's payroll.

With negotiations underway, UPTE members at VFC recently held a rally outside of the clinic's Rose Ave location in Venice demanding quality patient care, fair pay, and no cuts to service. We were joined by community allies POWER (People Organized for Westside Renewal) as well as Teamsters Local 2010, who also represents workers at VFC. 

"We provide high-quality, accessible, and comprehensive services to vulnerable or underserved people. We help tens of thousands of our patients access health care, health insurance enrollment assistance, harm reduction, services, case management, counseling and food pantries. But we are juggling more work than we can handle and struggling to make ends meet. Our patients feel the pinch at the end of the day. VFC's own website states that they are experiencing a year of growth and expanding programs. It's our work that is driving that success—why doesn't management think we should get what we deserve?" said Gloria Hernandez, who works at VFC as a social work associate and domestic violence counselor, as well as lead bargainer for UPTE.

UPTE members from the Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (EACL) and BioTech Laboratory at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS) marched on management, demanding transparency and a follow-up on their petition for staff research associates and laboratory assistants requiring equity reviews, more cross-training opportunities, and improved career development and staffing.

"A significant problem is the high turnover we've been having in our lab," said Téa Schepper, a Staff Research Associate 1 in the CAHFS Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory. "Much of the turnover is due to people finding better job offers with higher pay. We had someone who worked here for three months, but then she got a higher-paying job and just left. Many of the people I worked with when I first came here actually are no longer working here anymore."

The march on the boss forced management at CAHFS to commit to an equity review—not just for the two laboratories but for the entire laboratory system. UPTE members will hold a strategy meeting this month to plan the next steps in winning their demands.

CC Gerlach's journey at the UC San Diego Eating Disorders Center, initially filled with learning and growth, took a dramatic turn as systemic issues became apparent. "We were getting burnt out. This can't be normal," she remarked. The pivotal moment came with the revelation that their titles would be frozen, denying them deserved compensation for professional advancements. The unfairness galvanized CC and her colleagues into action, leading them to organize a march to confront their management.

The march represented a critical juncture in their struggle. CC and her colleagues embarked on a daunting task: drafting a petition, a first for many of them. "We had no prior experience," CC admitted, but the necessity of their cause pushed them forward. Inspired by other university movements, they crafted a petition that would become the cornerstone of their action.

The march led to management's promise of a town hall meeting. CC emphasized the importance of persistence: "We at least get that town hall meeting." This sentiment underscored the ongoing need for advocacy and follow-up to ensure their demands were met. Reflecting on the march, CC felt a surge of empowerment. "It truly felt empowering to be the ones to be leading the change," CC stated.

November 29 marked a turning point in the efforts of UPTE Mt. San Jacinto College Associate Faculty, as fifty members staged a call-in campaign to the college's Board of Trustees. Members are fighting for adequate healthcare coverage, pay parity with full-time instructors, seniority-based rights, sufficient raises, longevity increases, and paid time for office hours. The members targeted the Board of Trustees, which governs the Mt. San Jacinto Community College District. 

On the evening of November 29, associate faculty members and allies, including classified staff, full-time faculty, and students, came together to make their voices heard. The strategy was simple yet powerful: to flood the Board's voicemail with a deluge of calls, each echoing our solid and united demands.

"The hope is that some of these new board members will know what's happening at the college and help facilitate our demands," conveyed Marina. "So that's why the outreach was important: to let the new members know what's going on and to garner support. It's important that we show up in numbers because the school will respond to the numbers. I mean, if we show that we are going to be vocal and we have mobilized and we have support, then they will respond."

On December 27, 2023, UPTE's Executive Board voted to make a $10,000 contribution to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to support their humanitarian aid work on the ground in Gaza. The Executive Board also issued the following statement affirming UPTE's long-standing commitment to equality, justice, and peace:

As a union of nearly 20,000 healthcare workers, researchers in the public interest, and workers dedicated to public education, we mourn the tragic loss of nearly as many Palestinian and Israeli lives in the past 3 months. We are horrified by the October 7 attack on Israeli civilians and the ongoing siege, bombing, forced evacuation and destruction of hospitals and schools, and the resulting dire shortage of medical supplies, food, and water in Gaza.

For these reasons, we join the World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders, the United Nations, and dozens of American unions calling for an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages. 

Furthermore, we call on our elected officials to cease funding of this conflict and instead to use our government's immense influence to end the blockade of Gaza and to insist that all Palestinians and Israelis are granted equal access to healthcare, education, freedom of movement, and democratic rights.

Misclassification of employees can manifest itself in various ways. Sometimes, UC management might request that employees carry out tasks that fall outside their official job roles, or there could be instances where members work under antiquated job titles that fail to represent their efforts accurately. Misclassifying job titles and the scope of duty affects members' fair representation of their work and appropriate compensation. UPTE has been actively advocating for the reclassification of such positions and fighting for better wages to address these concerns.

The crucial need for accurate job classification and compensation led the affected workers to speak up for improved pay. After some back-and-forth discussions with management, it was recognized that these researchers needed to be reclassified into higher-paying titles to reflect the scope of their responsibilities, which ultimately led to a twelve percent raise for members at UCNRS.

While members are celebrating the increase in pay, there is still work to be done on this front. Members have expressed concern that the title classification and scope of duty still need to be revised. UPTE members remain committed to fighting for proper job classifications and an accurate scope of duty that appropriately reflects their vital work for the UC Natural Reserve System.

Thanks to the efforts of UC pharmacists, people working in the previously nonunion Pharmacist 5 title will now be joining our union! This will give these workers greater power to leverage their unity and collective voice to address workplace concerns and ensure fair and equitable treatment—not to mention a stronger voice to advocate for their services and patients.

Wan-Ting Huang, who recently transitioned from a staff pharmacist role at UCSD to a new position in the cardiovascular ICU as a critical care pharmacist specialist, knows first-hand why this is important.

"I knew our department going to ramp up the specialist position and take people out of the union. So I started to gather more people, asking people to come into meetings and take an active role in our organizing. We heard a lot of stories from coworkers, and realized how much of our members' work was being moved to people in non-union titles. Those people in non-union titles were seeing their benefits impacted or were experiencing trouble getting help with workplace issues. It wasn't right, and we all felt fired up at that point," said Wan-Ting.

By bringing folks into our union who share the same kinds of titles and work that we do, we expand the pool of people that management must collectively negotiate with. That ultimately gives us greater strength through increased numbers. "I'm very excited to get back to the group and now we can do some great work and then for the big contract to come next year," Wan-Ting said.

On November 14, UPTE members rallied against the closure of pharmacy and drug counseling services at the Colen Health Center. The center is operated by Venice Family Clinic and staffed by UCLA Health employees. UPTE was joined by People Organizing for Westside Renewal (POWER), Pastor Smart of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California, and former LA City Councilmember Mike Bonin.

The Colen Health Center pharmacy serves a diverse and vulnerable patient population including seniors and parents with young kids, many of whom cannot take multiple buses out of the neighborhood to the next closest pharmacy.

"Some of our patients are undocumented, and many are underinsured or uninsured altogether. This closure means some patients will likely go without any medication. That could cause serious health issues and even death. This is completely unacceptable," said Jeanice Carlson, a pharmacist who has worked at Colen Health Center since 2019.

Kayla Pang, another pharmacist at Colen, agreed: "This is so heart-breaking, because this planned closure goes directly against our mission and values as a clinic. Having access to high-quality pharmacy and drug counseling services in your own neighborhood is something everyone deserves. Shuttering those services here will cause undue hardship for my patients, many of whom are already struggling."

David Tanono, an Electrician 1 in the high voltage group for over eight years, is crucial in maintaining the lab's power infrastructure. Despite their vital work for the federally-funded research and development center, David and his coworkers faced significant hurdles, leading to a diminishing workforce and hiring less qualified individuals. The obstructions at work affected the members' morale and compromised their ability to maintain operational standards.

"We've had meetings with the higher-up executives, right up to the director, Kimberly S. Budil," expressed David. "I invited her to our building and expressed to her the problem we're having attracting new talent and retention, and nothing seemed to have helped. We have had a big problem as far as us getting the money that we need to find and keep qualified high voltage electricians."

Recognizing that individual efforts were insufficient to address these issues, David and his colleagues turned to collective action. He emphasized, "The main thing is just sticking together as a group." That belief in the power of unity was the driving force behind the march on the lab's management, a demonstration of their solidarity and determination to advocate for fair compensation. "Everyone showed up and had the mindset of, 'This could be the beginning of increased wages where if the high voltage group gets a win, we could potentially have other wins for other crafts fighting the same fight.' Whatever happens, it's a good show of support and just kind of overall a positive vibe going as we're marching."