In California, 2,100 Information Technology (IT) Professionals employed at the University of California (UC) have voted overwhelmingly to join the University Professional and Technical Employees-Communications Workers of America (UPTE-CWA) Local 9119.

This is the largest Tech Industry Organizing Campaign in U.S. history and brings the total number of IT Workers in the Bargaining Unit to 8,400, making it the largest Tech Union in the United States.

The IT Workers cited layoff protections, wage increases and Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance as key issues.

Worker titles Include Application Programmers, Business Systems Analysts, Data Systems Analysts, Database Administrators, Information Systems Analysts and Instructional Designers.

These Workers keep California’s Public University running by building and maintaining the digital infrastructure behind patient care at UC’s Medical Centers, powering the Research Systems Scientists across the State that they rely on, and by designing the learning tools that serve hundreds of thousands of students.

UPTE-CWA Local 9119 President Dan Russell said: “We know when you try to make quick, dirty decisions to cut labor through AI, you're actually creating a more vulnerable system. On paper, AI can make us more 'productive' at our jobs, but the people making those recommendations to UC are management consultants who don't have the knowledge or expertise we have as Workers. With the right to bargain over our working conditions, we can set the right tone not just for our workplace and tech organizations, but also for the millions of Californians who turn to UC every day for critical research, health care and educational opportunities.”

The Union Organizing campaign involved dozens of IT Workers who reached out to their colleagues via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, e-mail and Social Media, as well as physical outreach across departments and by knocking on doors, UPTE-CWA Officials said.