Members of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 3299 joined an informational picket line on Oct. 9, calling for UC San Diego administration to fulfill the union’s demands amidst contract negotiations. A tabling station for the informational picket line was set up in front of Geisel Library at 6 a.m. and was dismantled at approximately 9:30 p.m. 

AFSCME 3299 members’ demands for contract negotiations center around healthcare assistance, housing benefits, and higher wages in the face of the  affordable housing crisis. 

AFSCME 3299 represents over 30,000 employees within the University of California, including service workers, patient care technical workers, and skilled craft workers across the 10 UC campuses, five medical centers, clinics, and the UC Hastings College of Law. Similar day-long picket lines were held at UCLA, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC Berkeley, and UC Merced.

At 12:14 p.m., union members and protesters began marching down Library Walk, through Price Center Plaza, and finally looping back to Geisel Library. Several unions were present in support of AFSCME 3299, including members of United Auto Workers 4811, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees 122, and Service Employees International Union 3201. 

“What do we want? Fair contracts! When do we want them? Now!” the protestors chanted. “If we don’t get it, shut it down!” 

The union outlined their specific demands in a social media post published on July 24. Their proposals are as follows:

• 5% immediate wage increase due to inflation.
• 9% / 8% annual wage increases.
• $25 minimum wages retroactive to 2023.
• 2% step increases each year for all workers.
• 3-year contracts.
• Shift differentials:
  • Evening/Swing: 10%
  • Night/Weekend: 15%
  • On-Call Pay: 50%
• $25,000 housing fund for rent/mortgage assistance.
• Access to low-interest home loans.
• Divestment from Blackstone and investment in affordable housing.
• Decreased parking rates.

At approximately 12:25 p.m., unaffiliated speakers rallied in front of Geisel to articulate AFSCME 3299’s demands. Amongst them were LaShea Sharp-Collins, candidate for the 79th State Assembly District, and National City Council member José Rodriguez.

“We have to let the UC system know that you are not about to stand here and [be] unappreciated. You deserve more for your labor,” Sharp-Collins stated. “I’m disappointed in the fact that they have raises going up, about 32% for the market adjustment and another 4.2% increase across the [UC Board of Regents] when they are hollering they have a shortfall of funds and cutting jobs. How dare you speak about budget issues when you’re giving [these] people raises?”

On Sept. 19, the UC Regents approved a 4.2% market rate adjustment salary increase for the Chancellors presiding over the 10 UC campuses along with salary adjustments for six senior UC officers, which included a 25.3% boost for UC President Michael V. Drake. His annual base salary stands at $1.3 million. 

In conversation with The UCSD Guardian, Irma Trujillo, a senior custodian who has been working at UC San Diego for eight years, expressed the union’s most urgent demand.

“La falta de personal […] la que tenemos es demasiada y pues estamos trabajando un poquito más nosotros […] Y es en todos los departamentos, no nada más es en el de facility, donde yo trabajo. Es en housing, los restaurantes, jardineros. Donde quiera, hay una falta de personal necesario,” Trujillo stated. “Lo que queremos es un contrato justo. Todos tenemos necesidades. Ahorita la renta está muy alta. Nos afecta mucho, ¿entiendes? Realmente, queremos algo justo para nosotros.”

“The lack of personnel […] it is too great, and well, it results in us working a bit more. […] And it’s in all of the departments, not only in Facility, which is where I work. It’s in housing, the restaurants, gardeners, wherever; there is a lack of necessary personnel,” Trujillo stated. “What we want is a fair contract. We all have necessities. Now, rent is too high. It affects us deeply, you understand? Really, we want something just for us.”

At 8:30 p.m., union members began a second march, heading from Geisel to Matthews Quad. 

“UC, UC, you’re no good! Treat your workers like you should!” picketers chanted amidst the march.

The negotiation process began on Jan. 2024, but to this date, an agreement has not been met. The contract negotiations have hit an impasse with both parties awaiting the contract’s expiration on Oct. 31.

On Oct. 10, the UC Service and Patient Care Workers alleged unfair labor practices and called for a systemwide ULP Strike Vote Authorization. The decision came after members of AFSCME 3299 alleged that the university failed to bargain over plans to unilaterally increase healthcare costs, refused critical financial information for bargaining, and failed to prepare members of the UC-AFSCME bargaining unit for negotiation sessions. 

37,000 workers will be eligible to vote on the upcoming ULP Strike Authorization. Voting will take place between Oct. 28 and Oct. 30.

“Nosotros les agradecemos [a] los estudiantes. Porque ellos nos ayudan. Ellos siempre están cuidando de nosotros, siempre nos han hecho comidas de agradecimiento de que ellos miran. Ellos piensan, mi mamá puede estar en su situación, una familiar mía, y pues para eso estamos. Y ellos miran que gracias a nosotros sus salones están limpios, sus dormitorios están limpios,” Trujillo stated.

“We are thanking the students. Because they help us. They are always taking care of us, they’ve always made us meals as a sign of gratitude that they’re observing [our efforts]. They think, ‘my mom could be in their position, a family member of mine, and that’s what we’re here for.’ They observe that thanks to us, their classrooms are clean, their dorms are clean,” Trujillo stated.

On Oct. 8, the university’s UC-AFSCME bargaining unit released a press release to address the AFSCME 3299 picket line.

“Since January, we have been bargaining in good faith with the union, presenting meaningful proposals to directly address the union’s requests, including wage increases that, if accepted, would increase AFSCME salaries by 26% over the life of the five-year contract,” the statement read. 

“We maintain a positive outlook on our relationship with AFSCME and the current contract negotiations and hope a mutually beneficial contract agreement can be achieved soon,” the statement further said.

EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this article misspelled Irma Trujillo’s name. This current version has been updated to reflect the correct spelling.