Striking UC Santa Barbara workers took over Storke Plaza on Wednesday and accused the University of California of unfair labor practices and bargaining in bad faith.

Drums, megaphones, bells, and chants could be heard around the campus in an effort to disrupt the university’s daily operations.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and University Professional and Technical Employees union (UPTE) have been in contract negotiations with the UC system since last year. UC officials said in a statement that they have been bargaining in good faith and offered meaningful pay increases in contract talks.

In bright green shirts, members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) marched to major administrative locations including the Associate Vice Chancellor’s on-campus home. The demonstration ended back at Storke Tower.

AFSCME announced a two-day strike for Wednesday and Thursday at UCSB and other campuses. The health care and service workers union previously went on a two-day strike in November over contract talks.

Wednesday’s UC-wide strike called for an end to alleged unfair labor practices, including efforts to silence and intimidate employees who speak out about declining real wages, staff shortages, and the growing affordability issues affecting university workers, AFSCME representatives said.

“Ultimately the goal of this strike is to show that the University of California, our employer, has been engaging in illegal, bad faith bargaining. We’re hoping for the university to stop using intimidation practices now,” said Tran Nguyen, a spokesperson for AFSCME Local 3299 for UC Santa Barbara.

Nguyen alleged some of these intimidation tactics include silencing workers, denying access to and/or interfering with union representatives, and trying to shut down the strike. 

In bright blue shirts, the University Professional and Technical Employees union (UPTE) also protested the University of California’s alleged unfair bargaining practices in response to contract negotiations.

UPTE proposed a contract in June 2024 that outlined a plan for adequate staffing, promotional opportunities, work/life balance initiatives, fair pay, and security, according to the union. Earlier this month, a strike authorization vote showed overwhelming support, with 98% of union workers voting in favor of the strike. 

Michael Benaron, a physician assistant at UCSB, represented UPTE’s healthcare union at the demonstration. “The UC illegally raised healthcare costs and didn’t release staffing reports across California, so we’re shedding the light and blowing the whistle on this systemic staffing crisis that the UC refuses to solve,” Benaron said.

Representatives from both unions claim the UC system has responded to workers’ concerns with intimidation. Workers are now calling for the UC to engage with workers legally to reach an agreement. 

The strikes will continue through Thursday.

“The University of California is disappointed that AFSCME and UPTE plan to strike,” officials said in a statement last week. “Both unions have chosen to focus their energy on strike preparation and amplifying misinformation rather than negotiating in good faith. We have offered each union meaningful, wage increases, health care premium reductions, and other offers to directly address the issues they’ve indicated are important to their members.”

“In addition, we have also continuously bargained in good faith and are disappointed that AFSCME and UPTE remain unwilling to do the same. UPTE, who began strike preparations the same month contract negotiations began, failed to attend the most recent bargaining session and declared an impasse before responding to our offers. AFSCME has not responded to the University’s proposals or counterproposals since May 2024.

“While both AFSCME and UPTE may say they want UC to return to the table, the successful resolution of these contracts depends on their willingness to engage in productive bargaining. The University will do everything possible to ensure strike impacts on patients, students, faculty and staff are mitigated,” UC officials said in the statement.