Twenty thousand University of California healthcare, research, and technical professionals, represented by University Professional and Technical Employees CWA Local 9119 (UPTE CWA 9119), will participate in a statewide unfair labor practice (ULP) strike on May 1, 2025. The strike will take place across UC campuses, hospitals, and laboratories, including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

UPTE filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge over the University's imposition of the hiring freeze, which would further undermine patient care, research, and education across the state. UC knows what it has to do to avoid further strikes—end its unfair labor practices and bargain in good faith with all UPTE members over our proposals to end the recruitment and retention crisis.

On April 30, we also released a new research white paper, titled “Misplaced Priorities: How a Staffing Crisis at the University of California Undermines Public Health, Research, and Education.” The paper explores the role of leadership in perpetuating the crisis and the consequences for California’s students and patients.