AFSCME Local 3299 Executive Vice President Kathryn Lybarger speaks during a press conference outside UCSF Mission Bay Hospital in San Francisco on April 15. Lybarger’s union, which represents health care and other campus workers, announced an open-ended strike starting May 14 at UC hospitals and campuses across the state.
Brontë Wittpenn/S.F. Chronicle
Union members representing 42,000 hospital technicians and other staff members announced on April 15 that they would strike across all University of California hospitals and campuses starting May 14.
Brontë Wittpenn/S.F. Chronicle
A labor union banner flies in front of UCSF Mission Bay Hospital in San Francisco during a news conference April 15.
Brontë Wittpenn/S.F. Chronicle
In 2019, University of California workers held a one-day strike in San Francisco to protest what they said were illegal actions by UC to hire cheaper contractors to do their work.
Brian Feulner/Special to The Chronicle
Thousands of University of California medical and campus workers are set to walk off their jobs Thursday in an open-ended strike expected to disrupt patient care at five UC medical centers up and down the state indefinitely.
The medical staffers preparing to strike include radiology, lab and ultrasound technicians, respiratory and mental health therapists, pharmacists and nurses’ aides and many others. They will be joined by thousands of service workers across UC’s 10 university campuses, from custodians and groundskeepers to security guards and cooks.
Contracts expired in 2024 for about 42,000 medical and service workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299. The union has since filed unfair-labor complaints with the state accusing UC of imposing working conditions the union has not agreed to.
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The university says the sides have made “meaningful progress at the bargaining table this week” and that they are “closer than ever” to an agreement ahead of the scheduled strike.
Here is what patients, families and students should know if the strike goes forward:
Where will picket lines be?
Picket lines are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at these five medical centers:
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UCSF Mission Bay, 1855 Fourth St., San Francisco
UC Davis Medical Center, 4301 X St., Sacramento.
UC Irvine Medical Center, 101 The City Dr. South, Orange
UCLA Medical Center Ronald Reagan, 757 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles
UCSD Medical Center Hillcrest, 200 W. Arbor Dr. San Diego.
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Picket lines are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at these five campuses:
UC Berkeley, Telegraph and Bancroft, Berkeley
UC Merced, Bellevue and N. Lake roads, Merced
UC Santa Cruz, High St. and Bay Drive, Santa Cruz
UC Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside
UC Santa Barbara, Storke Tower, UCSB, Santa Barbara
Doctors and nurses will not be on strike, which means that most medical centers will be open. But some services will be disrupted or delayed if the strike happens.
The details below about navigating medical appointments during the strike come from UCSF. If you receive care at a different UC, contact that medical center for specifics.
What if I have a medical emergency during the strike?
Come to the emergency room. All ERs will remain open.
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My surgery is scheduled during the strike. Do I need to reschedule?
If your surgery can’t happen, your medical team will reach out to you. UCSF says that, so far, “we’ve only had to reschedule very few surgeries.”
What about radiology appointments?
X-rays, MRIs, mammograms, ultrasounds and other appointments that are dependent on striking technicians are likely to be rescheduled or delayed. Your medical team will contact you if this has to happen. The following UCSF-run locations will not offer medical imaging during the strike — or at least early on — if it takes place:
UCSF Bayfront, 520 Illinois St., S.F.
Weill Neurosciences, 1651 Fourth St., S.F.
Parnassus Ambulatory Care Center, S.F.
Redwood Shores, 290 Redwood Shores Pkwy, Redwood City
UCSF San Mateo, 1100 Park Place, San Mateo
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What about chemotherapy and other infusions that must happen on a particular schedule?
The pharmacists who mix mixed these medications are among those set to strike. UC asked the court to prevent pharmacists and certain other medical employees from participating in the strike but was denied. Although some infusions are being rescheduled or delayed, in the case of chemo for cancer patients, oncologists are reviewing changes to ensure they are medically appropriate.
I just have a regular doctor’s appointment. How likely is it to be changed?
Some appointments won’t need to be canceled, but they may shift to telehealth. The office will contact the patient if this needs to happen.
I’m supposed to get a blood draw. Can I still do that?
Probably not, at least early in the strike. The following locations will not offer blood draws during the strike:
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Weill Neurosciences, 1651 Fourth St. S.F.
The Blood Draw Lab at Walnut Creek, 2401 Shadelands Drive. Walnut Creek
These sites may still be open for blood draws during the strike, so it’s best to check with them:
UCSF Bayfront, 520 Illinois St., S.F.
Lakeshore in S.F.
Lab Services Lakeshore, 1569 Sloat Blvd., S.F.
UCSF Health Stanyan Hospital (formerly St. Mary’s), 450 Stanyan St., S.F.
UCSF Health Hyde Hospital (formerly St. Francis), 900 Hyde St., S.F.
Lab Services Berkeley, 3100 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley
Peninsula Outpatient Center, 225 California Dr., Burlingame
Will parking garages and valet services be open?
Will medical center cafeterias be open?
Yes, at the UCSF Parnassus and Mission Bay hospitals, cafes will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the strike.
Will medical center shuttles still be running?
Shuttle services will operate on a modified schedule starting Thursday. Here is a link to the updated shuttle route planner. For questions, email transportation@ucsf.edu or call 415-476-4646.