Several hundred skilled-trade workers at UCLA walked out and picketed for higher wages and retroactive pay on Wednesday.
The 24-hour strike was organized by Teamsters Local 2010, a union chapter representing plumbers, carpenters, electricians, elevator mechanics, service engineers and other workers at UCLA and UC San Diego.
Workers began gathering at midnight Wednesday morning, said Teamsters Local 2010 spokesman Christian Castro. They held signs saying “Fair wages now!” “Stop wage theft!” and “Pay workers enough to live!” A similar strike is planned for UC San Diego on Thursday.
Despite the walkout, neither the main campus nor UCLA’s medical centers had any disruptions in service, said UCLA spokeswoman Kathryn Kranhold. Castro said mid-morning that a boiler was broken and “delays are starting to add up.” He said that the workers get, on average, between 12 and 15 service calls daily. Kranhold later said that there were no broken boilers on Wednesday.
In a statement, UCLA called the strike unlawful and said that it has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the California Public Employment Relations Board.
“UCLA is disappointed by this decision and believes this matter is best resolved at the bargaining table,” the statement said.
Castro countered that the workers haven’t been treated fairly. “The university isn’t bargaining in good faith,” he said. “They’re denying wages that were budgeted four years ago.”
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