UC health and technical workers press Regents to bargain in good faith, cite staffing and reclassification issues

Union leaders and health-system staff used the Investments Committee public-comment period on March 14 to press the University of California to bargain in good faith over contracts, to address understaffing at UC Health, and to reform reclassification processes.

Max Belasco, chapter chair at UCLA for University Professional and Technical Employees, said bargaining has stalled after “24 days of bargaining in 8 months” and accused UC negotiators of failing to make meaningful moves. “It has become obvious that the UC bargaining team you have sent to meet with us is not empowered to actually negotiate with our team,” Belasco said. He warned that workers were prepared to strike again if bargaining did not resume in good faith.

Several health-system employees described high turnover and understaffing in clinical and social-work roles. Isabel Velasquez, a clinical social worker at UCLA Santa Monica, said night-shift social workers and emergency-department staff are leaving because of stress and “unfair wages,” and she linked staffing shortages to diminished patient care.

Speakers asked Regents to support fair career progression, guaranteed reclassification and higher pay to reduce turnover. Megan Pike, a certified child life specialist at UCLA, said many reclassification requests go unreviewed or denied and asked the Regents to “bargain with us in good faith” to secure clearer, timely reclassification pathways.

No motions or votes related to labor negotiations were recorded in the committee meeting; comments were taken under public comment and noted by committee staff.