UC Davis will discipline striking workers

UC Davis officials say today's strike is illegal and they will take disciplinary action against employees as necessary.

Demanding wage increases and promising to remain off work through the week unless an accord is reached, UC Davis employees walked off their jobs this morning, demonstrating at several sites, including UC Davis Medical Center on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento.

"We will be taking disciplinary action in accord with the law. Normal attendance policies will be applied relating to excused and unexcused absences," says Elizabeth Meyer, director of employee and labor relations at UC Davis campus.

About 50 employees at the UC Davis Medical Center did not report to work Monday, Meyer says. There are 3,376 service and patient care workers at the Davis and Sacramento campuses.

Between 500 and 550 picketers were estimated to be demonstrating in front of the Medical Center this morning, carrying signs, chanting and urging passing motorists to honk their vehicle horns in support.

Some demonstrators said they were unconcerned by UC Davis administration threats of discipline for not coming to work.

"They cannot do it. They cannot fire everybody," said Prima Wati, a senior custodian, of the possibility of being fired for being part of the strike.

The employees will be on strike from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Friday. Along with wage increases, service workers are demanding guaranteed overtime pay, a guaranteed step system for salaries, and uniform statewide wages.

UC Davis representatives said they expected employees to obey a temporary restraining order issued in San Francisco Superior Court on Friday which prohibited the strike.

"Our proposals are fair and responsive to many of the union's expressed concerns," said Howard Pripas, director of UC labor relations.

The strike involves workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, who perform housekeeping, cafeteria and security services. The strike was supposed to affect UC's 10 campuses and five medical centers.

"The cost of living, gas prices, we can't afford it," said Prema Wati, who said she earns $13 an hour. "Everybody needs money, everybody's got families."

Malti Singh, also a senior custodian, said the strike is a last resort.

"Nobody wants to go on strike," she said. "Everybody wants to work."

Union treasurer Gail Price said service workers are treated like "second-class citizens," especially compared to employees working in patient care at the Medical Center.

"They won't give them across-the-board raises like they will the patient care unit," Price said. "We're not letting them get away with it anymore."

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