A superior court judge issued a temporary restraining order today, limiting the number of patient care technical and service workers who can participate in two strikes planned this week across the University of California.
This week’s planned strikes include a two-day strike by the the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 union, which represents patient care technical and service workers across the UC.
About 97 percent of AFSCME 3299’s 13,000 members voted to authorize the strike earlier this month.
The court’s injunction limits the number of strikers by about 450 people, according to the UC Office of the President. The UC initially wanted the court to limit the number of strikers by about 700 people.
Another union, the University Professional and Technical Employees union, which represents about 3,300 UC health care professionals, will also be partaking in a one day sympathy strike on Tuesday.
The UC held a press conference today to discuss how the strike, which is scheduled to start Tuesday at 4 a.m., will impact care at the UC medical centers.
Some centers, including UCLA, will have to delay elective surgeries and chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
The University expects to spend about $20 million to bring in replacement workers, officials have said.
“From our standpoint, this is inappropriate,” said Dwaine Duckett, vice president for system-wide human resources at the UC, in a conference call with members of the media today. “Critical procedures are delayed because of the strike. … I (would be) upset about that as a member of the public and as a patient.”
Representatives of AFSCME Local 3299 released a statement in response to the court’s ruling today, stating that the decision affirms the union’s right to strike while keeping patient safety in mind.
Even with the reduced number of strikers, UC officials have said maintaining quality care at the five UC medical centers will prove a challenge.
The AFSCME 3299 strike is a response to stalled contract negotiations with the University that began last year.
UC officials have said the union will not agree to the pension proposals the University put forward, while the union raises the issue of high executive compensation and low worker pay throughout the system.
Compiled by Katherine Hafner, Bruin senior staff.