Workers represented by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 and University Professional and Technical Employees, CWA 9119 (UPTE) are going on strike this week over unfair labor practices by the UC. AFSCME 3299 represents over 37,000 service, patient care and skilled craft workers across the UC, while UPTE represents over 18,000 research support, healthcare and technical workers.
Both unions cited new rules that limit workers’ speech and public expression activities like leafleting as evidence of bad faith bargaining by the university. AFSCME 3299 is striking on Wednesday and Thursday (2/26-2/27), while UPTE is striking from Wednesday to Friday (2/26-2/28).
This post, updated by members of our News Department, seeks to provide up-to-date information and developments regarding the UC workers’ strike, and will be periodically updated.
Live Feed:
3:37pm – Campus picket ends
As picketers return to Bruin Plaza, a crowd remains outside the Luskin Conference Center, chanting “We’ll be back,” as CSC security officials stand nearby. Students distribute thank you cards to workers as they arrive.
AFSCME 3299 pickets are scheduled to start again at 6 a.m. tomorrow for the second and final day of their ULP strike.
3:00pm – AFSCME picketers return to Luskin Conference Center
Picketers are circling in a single-file line outside the Luskin Conference Center to the beat of drums. Among the crowd are members of UAW 4811 Rank & File and the Student Labor Advocacy Project.
2:57pm – Final AFSCME campus march begins from Bruin Plaza
AFSCME workers on campus are beginning their final march from Bruin Plaza to chants of “32, 99” and “UC, UC, you can’t hide; we can see your greedy side.”
1:40pm – UPTE marches resume at Ronald Reagan Medical Center
UPTE workers have started to march from the intersection of Westwood Blvd. and Le Conte Ave., chanting “What do we want? Justice!”
1:20pm – Campus pickets return to Bruin Plaza
Marching AFSCME 3299 workers on main campus have returned to Bruin Plaza as the SLAP teach-in continues.
1:00pm – Labor and Latin American Migration teach-in has begun in Bruin Plaza
The teach-in is organized by the Student Labor Advocacy Project (SLAP) and facilitated by Dr. Abrego, professor of Chicana/o and Central American studies at UCLA.
12:51pm – Picketers are marching through campus
12:18pm – Strikers have stopped for lunch.
Law enforcement is outside of Ackerman Union and coordinating with campus security.
11:24am – Moving through to Le Conte and strikers are stationed near the Ronald Reagan Hospital
11:18am – The picketers move towards the Ronald Reagan Medical Center and are currently staying off the street
11:13am – The march is continuing its movement from earlier this morning and moves back towards the Luskin Turnaround
11:11am – March is stopped near Bruin Plaza
11:08am – March is now moving back towards Bruin Plaza.
11:06am – Picketers are now moving towards Bruin Plaza, with UC Divest signs visible.
AFSCME has campaigned against Blackstone investment and the $8.6 billion invested in Blackstone by the UC is among those targeted by the UC Divest Coalition.
11:01am – The march is now stopped in front of Tongva steps.
Picketers chant “Fighting for justice” and “We are the union”
11:00am – Student solidarity organizers are flyering outside various entrances to Ackerman Union
The organizers are urging students to not buy from or use meal swipes at ASUCLA restaurants or stores, in order to amplify the strike’s economic impacts on the UC. Students are distributing free meals and fruit to students in need of a meal, in order to discourage dining at ASUCLA locations.
10:55am – The march proceeds through the Sunken Gardens, and is now in front of Royce Hall & Powell Library.
10:54am – Picketers are now moving left towards Charles E Young Drive.
A third news helicopter is now flying over the march. It is ABC7 and their Air7 helicopter.
10:51am – The march has passed Pritzker and the Inverted Fountain, and is now moving towards Hilgard.
10:47am – The march continues up Portola Plaza road.
10:40am – March re-enters Bruin Plaza, heading east towards Bruinwalk.
Chants continue, saying “Whose university? Our university! Who runs UC? We run UC!”. A Fox News helicopter is seen circling above the picketers.
10:33am – The march is now between the Luskin turnaround and Engineering VI, moving towards main campus.
Media helicopters, now confirmed to be KTLA 5, continue to circle the scene.
10:28am – AFSCME and UPTE workers have moved back towards Ronald Reagan Medical Center.
10:20am – LAPD is blocking the road behind AFSCME Union marshals, on the corner of Westwood Blvd. and Weyburn Ave.
Police officers continue to move alongside the march.
10:16am – Workers have stopped at the intersection of Westwood Blvd. and Le Conte Ave., as a media helicopter circles above the crowd.
10:06am – Workers are circling back down Westwood Blvd., turning at Wilshire Blvd., blocking two intersections outside the UCLA-owned Hammer Museum.
Hundreds of picketers are on the scene, with chants, cowbells and drums ringing through. LAPD cars have been spotted going down streets parallel to Westwood Blvd.
10:04am – The march has reached Wilshire Blvd., with traffic officers redirecting cars
10:01am – More LAPD cars are seen on Wilshire and down Westwood Blvd., alongside parking enforcement.
9:53am – More UPTE picketers stream in from Le Conte Ave; workers cheer as march lines come together
LAPD officers have been seen with batons. Workers cheer “When I say union, you say power! Union! Power!”
9:52am – The picketers at Ronald Reagan Medical Center start marching into Westwood Village, with police officers following
Campus picketers are crossing over to converge with the march of the other picketers, joining on Westwood Blvd. and marching south.
9:49am – AFSCME & UPTE workers at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center line up to march at the corner of Westwood Blvd. and Le Conte Ave.
3 LAPD cars block off the intersection of Westwood and Le Conte, and CSC security bicycle down Westwood Blvd.
9:46am – CSC & UCPD arrives in the scene
A cluster of 6 CSC security officials have been spotted on Westwood Boulevard and Charles E Young Drive South, alongside 2 police cars. One LAPD car is parked outside Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Medical Building, and a UCPD car is parked on Westwood Boulevard.
9:41am – March is heading away from campus and towards Ronald Reagan Medical Center
More chants ensue, saying “UC, UC, you’re no good, treat your workers like you should”
9:36am – AFSCME picketers begin to march
Drums and chants can be heard, as workers chant “Who’s got the power? We’ve got the power! What kind of power? Union power!”
9:20am – Workers line up for another march
Marshals in Bruin Plaza are lining up union members and students for another march at the south end of Bruin Plaza.
9:00am – Students table in Bruin Plaza to support strike
Students with the Student Labor Advocacy Project (SLAP) of UCLA have set up a table in Bruin Plaza to share information with students and encourage students to support the strike by joining pickets and boycotting ASUCLA restaurants and stores. The UCPD car has left the engineering alleyway since the last update.
8:10am – Workers make their way back to Bruin Plaza; UCPD present on campus
Marching workers are heading from the Luskin Conference Center back towards Bruin Plaza. At 8:03 a.m., a UCPD car pulled into the alleyway that leads to Boelter Hall and the Engineering IV loading dock, across from the Luskin Conference Center.
AFSCME and UPTE workers are also picketing around the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
7:25am – AFSCME 3299 begins to march [Updated 7:35am]
AFSCME workers are marching south from Bruin Plaza and starting to picket around the perimeter of the Luskin Conference Center. Chanting “Who are we, AFSCME, 32, 99,” hundreds of workers and students march to the beat of drums.
A handful of UPTE workers heading from the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center have joined the AFSCME picket to chants of “Who runs UC, we run UC!”
CSC security is tailing the march, with officials on bikes weaving in and out of the line. As more workers from both AFSCME and UPTE join the march, the picket now nearly stretches around the entirety of the Luskin Conference Center.
7:17am – AFSCME 3299 gears up for its first march
AFSCME workers are preparing to march toward the Luskin Conference Center in the first march of the ULP strike. The line of workers is headed by a banner that reads “When we fight, we win,” with student and worker marshals at the boundaries.
6:20am – AFSCME 3299 workers gather in Bruin Plaza for pickets
About 100-150 workers represented by AFSCME 3299 are gathering in Bruin Plaza to begin the day’s pickets, with more workers continuously arriving at the scene.
There is an elevated CSC security presence across campus in preparation for marches.
12:00am – AFSCME, UPTE Unfair Labor Practice strikes begin
As of 12:00 a.m., AFSCME 3299 and UPTE-CWA 9119 are on Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strikes over new UC policies that limit workers’ public expression activities, including restrictions on leafleting and picketing locations. Last month, UPTE filed a charge with the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) over the UC’s “draconian” new rules. In a statement, UPTE said that they were “calling on PERB to stop UC’s escalating war on free speech.”
AFSCME 3299 pickets are expected to begin at 6 a.m. in Bruin Plaza, at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center and at the UCLA Santa Monica Hospital. UPTE pickets are expected to begin at the Ronald Reagan Medical Center and the Santa Monica Hospital at 7 a.m., and at the UCLA West Valley Medical Center at 7:30 a.m..
A student campaign to boycott ASUCLA stores throughout the strike has also begun, aiming to exert further economic pressure on UCLA. This campaign is unaffiliated with the unions.
