UC-Berkeley Nurses To Hold ‘Sympathy Strike’ Next Week in Support of Clerical Workers, Lecturers

The California Nurses Association has announced plans to hold a "sympathy strike" at the University of California-Berkeley next week for three days in support of clerical workers and lecturers unions that are seeking higher wages and better working conditions, the Los Angeles Times reports. The 50 to 60 health care employees will strike beginning Monday, the first official day of the semester at the university (Silverstein, Los Angeles Times, 8/22). The nurses, who staff the student health center at the 32,500-student campus, settled their contract in June. Potentially the first of several labor demonstrations this fall, the strike is not expected to cause major disruptions to the campus, but according to Marie Felde, a spokesperson for UC-Berkeley, some telephone calls will go unanswered and the health center will cancel all non-urgent appointments. Accusing the campus of "unfair labor practices," the clerical union wants a 15% pay raise over two years and ergonomic reviews of work stations, while the lecturers union is demanding greater job security. The university claims the strike is "an illegal pressure tactic" (Pardington, Contra Costa Times, 8/22).