UC locations are hearing concerns from some employees about feeling threatened, harassed and/or intimidated by union representatives about coming to work during AFSCME’s October 23-25 strike.

It’s Your Right to Decide to Not Strike and Come to Work

No employee is ever obligated to strike. Unions are legally prohibited from threatening or coercing members in other ways to keep them from coming to work. Pickets are lawful so long as they are peaceful, conducted only on public property (i.e., sidewalks), do not block access to facilities, do not interfere with the normal course of business, and do not prohibit non-striking employees from working. 

UC will assist employees who want to work by providing security or transportation across picket lines. Non-striking employees should avoid confrontations or exchanges with striking/picketing colleagues that might inflame the situation.

If you want to come to work during the strike and are being prevented from doing so, please immediately notify your supervisor or another UC administrator, or your campus labor relations office.

Report Incidents Immediately

If you feel you are being threatened, harassed, intimidated about crossing the picket line, or are prevented from working by picketers or striking employees, please immediately notify your supervisor or another UC administrator, or your campus labor relations office.

UC Will Not Facilitate Union Fines

Some unions have the right to fine members, but not non-members, who choose to work during a strike, including a sympathy strike. If you don’t want to strike, you may want to contact your local union representative to confirm there will not be fines. Even if the union does levy fines, UC will not deduct union fines from employees’ paychecks.