University of California workers start strike

More than 15,000 University of California radiology technicians, pharmacists and other medical workers have started a three-day strike to protest outsourcing and demand higher wages.

Strikers gathered at sunrise throughout the state, wearing green t-shirts, ringing bells and carrying signs that say "End Outsourcing."

The walkout doesn’t include nurses. It’s targeting five UC hospitals in Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Davis, along with clinics, campuses and research facilities.

The strike was called by AFSCME Local 3299, which represents 25,000 service workers, after the union and the university couldn't agree on a new contract and mediation efforts failed.

The same issue prompted a three-day walkout by 53,000 UC workers last May, including custodians and cafeteria workers. Nurses and other medical workers walked out then in sympathy.