A Sympathy Strike Within the Same Local
University of California public employees planned a strike this summer—and faced hurdles trying to organize a sympathy strike of their own members. UC workers are under California state law rather than the National Labor Relations Act.
Contracts had expired for both service workers such as janitors and groundskeepers and for patient care workers at UC hospitals. Management was bargaining with the patient care workers, which meant they weren’t legally allowed to walk. But the service workers were at an impasse—and they called a five-day strike. The union, AFSCME Local 3299, knew the service workers’ strike would be more effective if the patient care workers stayed out, too. But, says UC Davis organizer Amy Hines, “We were not legally allowed to point patient care workers in that direction. Neither were board members. “We had Member Action Team leaders who aren’t on AFSCME pay, and they promoted solidarity strikes. As a result, then, it was a grassroots effort.”
