The American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 - which represents more than 40,000 Workers employed in the University of California (UC) System, including 530 at UC Santa Cruz, is planning an open-ended strike starting Thursday (May 14th). The Union accuses the University of bad-faith bargaining. Workers are employed in a span a range of occupations, such as food service, transportation, Electricians, Custodians and Patient Care Workers, like Nurse’s Aides and Radiology Technologists. AFSCME says wages simply don’t keep up with rising housing and health care costs. The Workers have filed two Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Charges against UC, including: Unlawful imposition of health care increases and other unlawful terms and refusal to bargain over housing benefits. AFSCME Local 3299 Executive Director Liz Perlman told Lookout Santa Cruz: “It’s the first time, not only for our Union, but also for an open-ended hospital Strike in the Public Sector in California. This is really a last resort. After two years, we’ve tried everything else. Their average salary is ($62,000), which, you know, in Santa Cruz County is just nearly impossible to live on. The UCs are in some of the most expensive real estate in the country. They don’t move, but everything gets more and more expensive around them.”

For More On This Labor News Report, Go To: Open Ended Strike! – AFSCME 3299 And UC workers prepare for systemwide open-ended strike on Thursday, with local impacts to patients, buses, dining services - Lookout Santa Cruz