UC/AFSCME negotiations continue

While the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union has has scheduled demonstrations today (June 4) at UCLA and other UC campuses and medical centers, AFSCME and UC continue to negotiate.

AFSCME and UC jointly released a statement on May 29 announcing the union's decision to cancel a strike planned for June 4-5, and the return of both parties to post-fact-finding mediation with the help of state-assigned mediators. The university remains hopeful that the bargaining teams will be successful in reaching agreement on two new contracts for the more than 20,000 UC patient care and service workers that AFSCME represents.

UC began negotiating with the union in August 2007 regarding patient care technical workers, and began negotiating regarding UC service workers in October 2007.

The 20,000 patient care and service workers include a wide variety of jobs including, but not limited to, medical technologists who take x-rays, MRIs, and mammograms; respiratory therapists who operate breathing machines; medical assistants who clean wounds, bathe and turn patients to prevent infections and bed sores; cleaners who disinfect medical instruments and patient areas; custodians who clean the hospitals and campus dorms; and food service workers who provide cafeteria service to patients and students.