Betty Yee, who was the California state controller from 2015 to 2023, gave a speech in solidarity with the AFSCME Local 3299 union outside the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Yee, who is running for governor in 2026, criticized the University’s alleged bad-faith bargaining and disregard of UC patient care workers’ wellbeing.

“Let’s get UC to finally come to the table in good faith,” Yee said. “We don’t solve this when they send people who don’t have authority to negotiate.”