SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A group of social workers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), rallied on May 15, 2025, during the UC Regents meeting, calling for urgent action on what they described as “persistent unfair labor practices and a worsening staffing crisis that is directly harming students, patients, and the broader public across California,” said UCSF therapist Robyn Miles.
The demonstration took place outside the Mission Bay Conference Center, where the meeting was held.
UPTE noted that the rally—organized by UCSF social workers and their union, the University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE-CWA 9119)—was driven by mounting frustration over UCSF’s handling of discharges for unhoused patients. Protesters argued that the university has failed to provide sufficient resources or safe discharge planning, leading to further instability and harm.
The rally was also fueled by longstanding understaffing and pay inequities, UPTE said. Social workers condemned the two-tier pay system in place for UPTE members, which they said exacerbates racial inequalities and puts patients at risk.
“Workers tackling homelessness, overdoses, and serious mental illness are underpaid, overworked, and undervalued,” the union stated. Despite their efforts to address the growing mental health crisis, social workers say the UC system has failed to offer them adequate pay, support, or recognition.
UPTE said social workers have raised these concerns internally for years, but claim that UCSF administrators have responded with silence or inaction. While UC leadership has publicly pledged to address health equity and the social determinants of health, frontline workers say those promises have not translated into meaningful changes.
During a 2023 meeting, UC Chief Financial Officer Nathan Brostrom acknowledged that vacancy rates had tripled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, stating, “That is not a good thing for the staff experience, faculty experience, or student experience.”
UPTE reports that rapid turnover—coupled with the fact that most employees have been on the job for fewer than five years—has undermined care for Medi-Cal patients and disrupted essential mental health counseling services.
UPTE members used the May 15 protest to challenge the UC Board of Regents, which holds the authority to implement systemic reforms. According to The Worker Agency, social workers emphasized that their demands are not radical. Rather, they are calling for dignity, safety, and basic human rights for themselves and the patients they serve. The protest sought to highlight the need for healthcare institutions to support, not harm, both workers and the communities they serve.
Despite the University of California system’s billions in liquid assets, UPTE argues that these funds are not being used to provide equitable pay for employees who work in high-stress, life-saving environments. UPTE represents a broad spectrum of highly skilled professionals who are essential to UC’s healthcare, research, and education missions—including staff working to fight viruses, treat cancer, and support students and patients at risk of self-harm. While UC leadership has prioritized health equity in public statements, workers say those values are not reflected in daily operations or discharge planning for complex patient cases.
UPTE stated that the UC Regents have the authority to set institutional priorities, and social workers hope the board will now act on their concerns. UPTE members view this moment as a critical opportunity for the Regents to show that they value the people whose work makes UCSF’s reputation possible—not just the institution’s rankings and revenue.
The rally featured testimony from workers who described ethical dilemmas and personal mental health struggles brought on by systemic neglect. The protest also underscored how failing to include frontline input has compromised the quality and safety of patient care, especially in relation to the discharge of unhoused patients from UC facilities.
As California’s second-largest provider of inpatient care for Medi-Cal recipients, the UC system must act now to ensure safe staffing and protect the workers upholding its prestige, UPTE said. Similar labor tensions are surfacing across the UC system, with unions and worker coalitions demanding greater accountability and transparency.
