Service workers and patient care staff picketed at UC San Diego’s Jacobs Medical Center on Wednesday. They’re asking for higher wages and housing assistance amid ongoing contract negotiations.
The University of California and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees or AFSCME, which represents more than 30,000 university workers, have been negotiating a new contract since January.Radiologic technologist Melissa Macario commutes from Chula Vista to La Jolla. She said the university’s wages are no longer competitive in the local market.
“They receive low-interest mortgages and down payment assistance that they only give to the executives,” cardiac surgical technologist Stevie Bellwood said. “That needs to be applied to everybody.”In a statement, the University of California wrote that this year’s bargaining sessions have been productive.
“We empathize with the challenges our AFSCME-represented employees face, especially California's increasing cost of living,” the university wrote. “Our goal is to acknowledge their growing contributions, appreciate their commitment, and offer a financial package that helps alleviate some of their financial strains.