Overview

• About 1,300 healthcare workers represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers plan an open-ended strike beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and the Walnut Creek Outpatient Center.
• The union asserts the Integration Plan would terminate existing contracts and rehire staff as direct UCSF employees, resulting in higher health insurance and retirement contributions that cut take-home pay.
• UCSF officials deny any firings, saying every employee will be mapped to equivalent positions with access to a more valuable pension and comprehensive long-term benefits under a unified system.
• Negotiations between UCSF and union leaders remain stalled, leaving key disputes over staffing, pay and contract terms unresolved as picket lines go up.
• The action is part of wider labor unrest in the University of California system and could influence contract talks at other campuses and hospitals.