Optometrists at four University of California campuses held a two-day strike Feb. 6 and 7 after negotiations with the health system failed, according to a Feb. 6 report from KQED.
Employees were striking over alleged labor law violations by their employer during salary and benefits negotiations, according to the report. They held a picket line outside UC medical centers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Davis.
UC and the University Professional and Technical Employees, Communication Workers of America Local 9119 have failed to agree on contract terms for more than 80 optometrists who joined the union in 2022.
Both parties have filed unfair labor practice charges against one another, with the union contending UC did not disclose essential data for bargaining on pay and that it withheld contact information for new members. Union representatives also claim that low compensation and a lack of career growth opportunities have left the UC system understaffed.
Some patients are forced to wait six to eight months for an appointment at the clinic, one optometrist told KQED. UCSF optometrists see 12 to 14 patients per day.
Since January 2023, the union and UC representatives have met nearly a dozen times to discuss contracts.
"The University of California respects the rights of employees to organize and is committed to good-faith bargaining across our system with unions, including the University Professional and Technical Employees Union," a UC spokesperson told KQED. "The University believes the planned UPTE action related to this limited group of employees is an unlawful exercise by the union."
The two parties had reached tentative agreements on incentive compensation and other issues during the bargaining process, according to the spokesperson.