AFSCME 3299 files ballot initiative
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 announced it had filed the University of California (UC) Support Staff Down Payment Loans Initiative on May 6.
AFSCME 3299, which represents over 40,000 service and technical workers across the UC system, submitted the ballot initiative with 1.3 million signatures to all 58 election offices. The initiative would require the UC to offer 20% down payment loans for UC frontline staff who are first-time homebuyers with the stipulation that the loans are guaranteed to be repaid and require no taxpayer money.
“This groundbreaking measure will give thousands of our members a pathway to homeownership, having ripple effects on our families for generations,” the press release read. “As we address one key leg of the housing crisis stool — workers being priced out of homeownership — we are also supporting the recruitment and retention of essential UC workers.”
AFSCME 3299 cited the rising cost of living throughout California, specifically in areas with UC campuses, as the motivation for this initiative, stating that nearly 81% of their members cannot afford a one-bedroom home close to where they work.
Additionally, the labor group has been in contract negotiations for over two years and plans to begin an open-ended strike on May 14.
UC Health proposes $36.7 million budget to regents
UC Health proposed a $36.7 million budget for the 2026-27 academic year, a 3.5% increase from the current budget, at the regents meeting on May 5.
According to the regents meeting agenda, the budget will primarily be allocated toward resources for health research, systemwide strategic partnerships and investment in modernizing data analytics for healthcare. Additionally, UC health leaders proposed the elevated budget because of cost of living increases for staff.
UC Health Executive Vice President David Rubin also presented a one year update on its strategic 2025-2028 plan, which focuses on five objectives to “address growing pressures on the University’s academic health system, including rising costs, workforce shortages, and increasing reliance on government payer programs.”
The objectives include developing a plan to protect federal health programs and improve its safety net partnership with the state and placing services and training programs in regions that have been “under-resourced.” UC Health also plans to improve ambulatory access for patients to support the health of employees and students, and utilize infrastructure to support patient care and research.
“Through this work, UC Health is strengthening access to care, expanding workforce capacity in underserved regions, enhancing patient experience, and advancing data and research capabilities, demonstrating the value of a unified, systemwide approach,” the agenda read.
UCSF receives $100 million for capital needs, health innovations
Philanthropists and longtime supporters of the UC, Kathy Chiao and Kenneth Hao, gave UC San Francisco a $100 million commitment for capital needs projects and to advance health innovations.
From this investment, $50 million will go to supporting capital projects and $40 million to advancing innovation initiatives. The last $10 million will go to the UCSF-Stanford collaborative Weill Cancer Hub West, a cancer research and treatment center.
According to the press release, UCSF’s capital priorities consist of modernization of the Parnassus Heights campus to build the new UCSF Health Helen Diller Hospital, as well as building a new hospital building for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital – Oakland.
A version of this article appeared on p. 3 of the May 14 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
