Two unions representing service workers, health care employees and other University of California employees went on a systemwide strike on May 1 in tandem with May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day. Several other unions and organizations rallied with them in solidarity.
May Day originates from American demonstrations and strikes in the 1880s by unions that advocated for better working conditions amid retaliation for their actions. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) 3299, and University Professional and Technical Employees, Communications Workers of America (UPTE-CWA) Local 9119, embarked on their third joint strike this year through unsuccessful contract negotiations with the University of California (UC), whom they accuse of negotiating in bad faith.
The unions seek wage increases higher than what the UC is offering and cite understaffing as an issue due to high turnover. The last two joint strikes were on April 1 and February 26-27.
“When one union stands up, all unions stand stronger, and our solidarity is our strength. We are here to demand that [UC Santa Barbara] and the entire UC system center our well-being and our demands,” fourth-year political science and philosophy double major and External Vice President for Statewide Affairs (EVPSA) Labor Director Andrea Muñoz said at the start of the rally.
On March 19, UC President Michael V. Drake announced a hiring freeze in anticipation of cuts to federal and state funding.
According to a statement by AFSCME released the same day, UC announced a systemwide hiring freeze and allegedly “imposed benefit cuts to new hospital workers without bargaining either over the effects on us, our patients, and our students.”
The statement went on to claim that over 13,000 frontline UC workers “have left their jobs in the last four years due to declining job quality.” UPTE-CWA also cited the hiring freeze in their May 1 statement.
The UC released a statement the day before about the strike, stating the hiring freeze would only apply to future hires.
“The University has informed stakeholders, including AFSCME and UPTE, that the hiring freeze doesn’t alter commitments under collective bargaining agreements or established policies,” the statement read. “UC officials have told AFSCME and UPTE they’re willing to discuss any identified negotiable impacts, although the UC believes the parties’ collective bargaining agreements already cover these effects.”
Beginning at 10 a.m., UCSB union members stood at the picket line at Storke Tower. Roughly 20 minutes later, they marched to the library steps chanting “UPTE on strike, all day all night” and “The workers united, will never be divided.”
At 12 p.m., the EVPSA held a rally in solidarity with the unions and to discuss broader ongoing contentions with federal and executive state funding. Over 100 people gathered as Muñoz began the rally alongside Chase Hobbs Morgan, a political science lecturer and member of the University Council-American Federation of Teachers (UC-AFT).
“We are here to insist that the university belongs to those who make it run, not the distant administrators or politicians, but to the people who teach, to the people who clean, to the people who research, the people who learn and the people who care for this university,” Muñoz said.
Several speakers followed, including Madeline Vailhe, member of the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 4811 and graduate student in the materials department, Angie Magaña, a nurse practitioner at Student Health Service and member of the California Nurses Association, Larry Young from the Teamsters union, Claudio Fogu from the UC Santa Barbara Faculty Association, Tara Plath from Researchers Against War, history professor Nelson Lichtenstein and District 1 Santa Barbara City Councilmember Wendy Santamaria. Topics varied from emphasizing solidarity among local unions to discussing the broader political climate.
“This university is the largest employer in Santa Barbara. How you treat your workers here on campus directly reflects how you treat our community,” Young said.
Several students also spoke, including second-year sociology and communication double major and Labor Chair of the UCSB chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America, Isabelle Prittie, and fourth-year communication major and member of the University of California Student Workers (UCSW) Anissa Carter.
“Students face harsh realities every day on the campus, with housing and food insecurity ramping and only growing worse every day,” Carter said. “How can we be expected to learn and grow when we can’t eat, don’t have a home and work at a job that is not worth the pay? Students deserve better. Workers deserve better.”
Claire Wilhelm-Safian, a lab assistant and member of UPTE-CWA, and Francisco Garcia, AFSCME service unit vice president and worker in the custodial department, also spoke.
“Over 13,000 of my colleagues, my coworkers, are leaving the UC hospitals, the universities to get better pay, to get better benefits. That’s just how it is nowadays,” Garcia said. “On a personal level, I work here. It affects me. My coworkers are leaving. What does that mean? I have to do the work, you have to do the work.”
Afterward, a group of roughly 60 individuals marched to the library steps where they chanted for a couple of minutes until they continued to the Student Affairs building. The group then made their way to Ortega Dining Commons, where members of the UCSW spoke.
Third-year political science major and student worker at De La Guerra Dining Commons, Catherine Ellis, said that last fall quarter, the student employee meal plan increased from $32.90 in fall 2023 to $49 per paycheck without notice from the administration.
“The University essentially just sent us an email telling us this. There was no decision by us. It wasn’t communicated. There was no conversation about it,” Ellis said. “They had taken about $700 from me for just that meal plan, and that’s the kind of most upsetting thing to me, is just realizing how much money they’re taking from me for essentially the same service, and now it’s suddenly more expensive.”
Dozens of workers have signed a petition demanding transparency from UCSB Dining regarding the reasoning behind the price increase. Director of Residential Dining, Robbie Wright and UCSB media spokesperson Kiki Reyes, did not immediately respond to request for comment.
At around 2 p.m. the group marched back to Storke Tower, closing both the rally and picket line.
“I’m very happy to have seen that so many students and community members came out. I think obviously, one day, whether we’re [a] student or we’re a worker right now or not, one day, we’re all going to be workers,” Muñoz said. “It’s so important for people to care about this, because this is going to affect absolutely everyone.”
A version of this article appeared on p. 5 of the May 8, 2025 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
