Protestors are chanting “UC, UC, you can’t hide, we can see your greedy side,” outside the Renee and Meyer Luskin Conference Center, where the UC Regents are having a three day meeting. AFSCME Local 3299 members have not received wage increases since the COVID-19 pandemic and are facing rising housing and health care costs, said Jacob Creer, a Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center operating room equipment specialist, who serves on AFSCME Local 3299’s executive board and bargaining team.

Creer commutes over two hours from Orange County to work because he can’t afford anything closer, he said, adding that he and his coworkers would appreciate living closer to each other and their jobs.