SAN FRANCISCO — Electricians, elevator mechanics, plumbers and other workers walked off the job Wednesday at UCLA to demand higher wages on day one of two planned strikes this week at a pair of University of California campuses.
A 24-hour strike was taking place at UCLA and a similar walkout was planned Thursday at UC San Diego, said Teamsters Local 2010, a union that represents nearly 800 skilled-trades workers at both schools.
Several hundred union members were expected at a rally Wednesday at UCLA.
Contracts for the workers at both schools have already expired and they are striking over the universities’ refusal to negotiate over back wages, the union said in a statement. The workers’ contract at UCLA expired in 2013 and at UCSD in 2015.
Skilled-trades workers at the two schools earn roughly $32 an hour, which is as much as $10 an hour less than what workers in the area are paid for the same jobs, said Teresa Conrow, a union spokeswoman.
The union has warned of possible disruptions and urged the public to reschedule nonessential campus medical appointments and other campus visits during the strike.
UCLA said in a statement that it was “disappointed” by the decision to strike and that it hopes to reach an agreement on a fair and competitive contract in the near future. It said it has a contingency plan to ensure that all hospitals and patient care facilities remain open and fully operational. No major disruptions were reported.
