IV Post

Los Angeles, California - State Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) met Wednesday with leadership of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center to express her concern and support for members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which have been on strike against University of California facilities since Monday.

 

UCLA hospital leadership informed Sen. Romero that it values the contributions of all employees and would appreciate her assistance in facilitating getting the union back to the bargaining table with UC. The leaders said they were hopeful for a fair and equitable resolution soon on contracts for the two separate employee groups on strike. They added that the UC system strives to offer its employees the most competitive salaries and benefits within available resources.

 

While the five-day strike is in its third day, UCLA Health System officials stated that the majority of its employees have continued to report to work to carry out their patient care responsibilities, resulting in safe clinical care for all patients. Most of the patient-care technical workers have shown up for work as scheduled. The two emergency departments at Reagan UCLA Medical Center and Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital are continuing to function without interruption. The paramount concern for UCLA’s hospitals is the health and well-being of its patients. Measures have been taken to appropriately staff both hospitals.

 

“We continue to assess the situation as it unfolds and are committed to maintaining essential services and minimizing any disruptions,” said Dr. Tom Rosenthal, chief medical officer of the UCLA Hospital System.

 

On July 11, a San Francisco Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order against AFSCME, prohibiting the union from proceeding with a strike scheduled for July 14-18 at University of California facilities throughout the state.

 

On July 9, the Public Employment Relations Board, the state agency responsible for overseeing collective bargaining for public sector employers, had issued a complaint against AFSCME for encouraging employees to participate in a strike against UC facilities even though their absence from work would clearly endanger the public’s safety because of potential impacts at the medical centers.