AFSCME members rally in LA, demand fair UC worker contracts

The Facts -

• • UC hospital and service workers held a massive rally for a fair contract in LA.

• • Labor leaders urged UC to invest in front-line workers facing stagnant wages.

• • UC workers demand livable wages and housing assistance due to high living costs.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders and Labor Leaders Rally for UC Workers

AFSCME President Lee Saunders, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Yvonne Wheeler spotlight the dire situation UC employees are facing

LOS ANGELES — University of California hospital and service workers held a massive rally for a fair contract today. The UC workers — 30,000 of whom make up AFSCME Local 3299 — were joined by thousands of AFSCME members nationwide. Labor leaders, including AFSCME President Lee Saunders and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, were present, urging UC to invest in their essential workforce.

Many essential UC employees can no longer afford to live within the communities they serve due to stagnant wages and rising housing costs. Since January 2024, AFSCME Local 3299 workers have been negotiating with UC management for livable wages and housing assistance. Despite offering home loan programs for faculty and executives, UC refuses assistance for front-line workers.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders said:
"You are not alone. We have 1.4 million members who have your back. We will take it to the streets if we need to. We always stand up for what we believe in."

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said:
“I'm bringing the voices of twelve and a half million workers, sixty unions who support you! Housing affordability is the number one issue. Workers can't afford to live where they work. We deserve to live in the communities where we serve.”

AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride said:
“We are a powerful force for justice. We are united in this fight because when bosses mess with one of us, they mess with all of us.”

Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Yvonne Wheeler said:
“A win for AFSCME Local 3299 is a win for all of us. When essential workers get what they need, they can provide the care we need without worrying about housing. Our labor should come with the ability to have a roof over our heads in our neighborhoods.”

AFSCME International Vice President Kathryn Lybarger said:
“We make the University of California one of the best university systems in the world. Yet since 2017, our workers have received an 8% pay cut, while university executives have had a 36% pay increase. Is that okay? No, it's not!”

AFSCME Local 3299 President Michael Avant said:
“UC, with their billions in endowment money, has given housing assistance to executives. They can afford to give the same to front-line workers. We already got it done at UC Davis, putting ten million dollars into a fund to help our members stay in their homes. They did it at UC Davis; they can do it for all of us.”

UC Administrative Clinical Care Partner and AFSCME Local 3299 member Monica Martinez said:
“I’m lucky I haven't been pushed out of my hometown yet. Many of my coworkers aren't so lucky. Many are living hours away from the hospitals and campuses they serve. Some sleep in UC parking lots between shifts. If UC continues to ignore this crisis, they won’t have a workforce. And LA, San Diego, San Francisco, and other communities UC operates in will look very different without us here — the hard-working people whose families have called these areas home for generations.”

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