A research and technical workers union announced plans for a three-day strike, becoming the second union to announce a strike against the University of California on Friday. 

The University Professional and Technical Employees-Communications Workers of America 9119 – which represents research and technical workers – called the strike, which will take place on all 10 UC campuses from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28. The union, which represents 20,000 workers, said in a press release that it was striking to call attention to what it said were unfair labor practices. 

“Instead of working together to address the crisis of recruitment and retention, UC is attempting to silence workers for speaking out for our patients, our research and our students,” said Dan Russell, UPTE’s president and chief negotiator, in a video released to the union’s Instagram. “UC has enacted new rules to limit our ability to advocate for ourselves.”

The strike is the second announced Friday, after a union representing service, patient care and skilled crafts workers called for a two-day strike to be held Feb. 26 and Feb. 27.

[Related: AFSCME Local 3299 announces strike against UC for Feb. 26, 27]

The union is striking to bring attention to UCSF forcing striking workers to come into work, according to a statement posted to the union’s website. The union also claimed UC has been bargaining in bad faith and hopes the strike shows UC its determination, Russell said in the video.

However, the University claimed the union was being unreasonable in negotiations in a Friday afternoon post to the social media platform X.

“It’s disheartening that UPTE continues to talk about striking and insisting UC come back to the bargaining table when they didn’t show up for the last scheduled bargaining session and then declared negotiations were at an impasse before responding to the UC’s previous offers,” UC Office of the President spokesperson Heather Hansen said in an emailed statement to the Daily Bruin.

Hansen said in the statement that the University believes it negotiated in good faith and that UPTE wants to circulate false information.

“There is no staffing crisis at UC,” Hansen said in the statement. “Data that we’ve already shared with UPTE shows that headcount is going UP, separations are declining, and turnover is flattening.”

The statistics Hansen shared could not be confirmed by the Daily Bruin at the time of publication. Hansen added that the union has refused to offer counterproposals during negotiations.

“We have offered UPTE what it has asked for, including higher wages, reduced health care premiums for lower-paid staff, regular step increases, more vacation and sick leave, an extra holiday and career growth opportunities,” Hansen said in the statement. 

UPTE also struck at UCSF in October, raising concerns about inflation, what it saw as a staffing crisis and health care payments. 

[Related: UPTE-CWA 9119 announces plans for 2-day strike at UCSF] 

While protestors are planning on picketing around Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and UCLA Health centers in Santa Monica and West Hills, Hansen said in the statement that the University will prioritize critical operations to minimize disruptions to students, patients, faculty and staff. However, Russell said in the video that he believes the strike will be effective.

“Thousands of workers on the picket line will counter UC’s narrative that the strike doesn’t have an impact,” he said in the statement.