CWA President Chris Shelton Joins 15,000 UPTE-CWA Members at Solidarity Strike Rally at University of California

On Wednesday, CWA President Chris Shelton joined 15,000 Healthcare, Research, and Technical professionals at University of California represented by UPTE-CWA Local 9119 on the picket lines at a rally during their strike in solidarity with the AFSCME Patient Care Unit's struggle for a fair contract.

UC recently announced the insulting terms it is imposing on Patient Care Technical workers including increases to healthcare premiums and flat wages that don't even keep up with inflation. The workers are protesting the outsourcing of jobs that threatens safe staffing, patient care, and workplace safety. UPTE-CWA members are ready to make sure that UC serves the interests of students, workers, patients, and the community, not just Chancellors, CEOs, and Regents.

"We're here today because of one thing and one thing alone: greed," said Shelton. "The greed of the CEOs and the administration and the higher management that works for UC." Shelton emphasized that 700,000 CWA members are standing in solidarity with UC workers, and called for a UC for the many – not the few. 

"UC claims to care about its patients and its employees, but turns around and imposes cuts on the AFSCME workers who are directly responsible for quality patient care," said UPTE President Jamie McDole, a Case Manager at UC Davis Medical Center. "This will only erode care quality, and UPTE members are not going to stand by and let UC get away with that."

On Wednesday, CWA President Chris Shelton joined 15,000 Healthcare, Research, and Technical professionals at University of California represented by UPTE-CWA Local 9119 on the picket lines at a rally during their strike in solidarity with the AFSCME Patient Care Unit's struggle for a fair contract.