A union representing tens of thousands of workers across the University of California system plans to execute a 48-hour strike this week, following an extended period of contract negotiations and allegations of bad-faith bargaining.

The workers include two bargaining units: so-called “service workers,” who include cooks, custodians, groundskeepers and security guards, among others, and health care workers in the university system’s hospitals, clinics and student health centers. The health care workers include nursing assistants and patient care technicians — who provide much of the day-to-day bedside care to patients — along with respiratory therapists, surgical sterilization technicians and others.

The union represents more than 37,000 workers statewide, including 6,000 workers at UC Davis, according Liz Perlman, executive director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299.

UC Davis Health said in a statement that it does not expect any disruptions to patient care. Perlman said the union has a task force of health care workers ready to go back to work in the case of serious emergencies.

“Patients don’t need to be concerned,” Perlman said.

Talks have been ongoing since January, and the previous contracts covering the guild’s two bargaining units expired in July and October. Last month the union filed an unfair labor practice charge against the university system, alleging that it increased workers’ health care costs outside of bargaining and failed to provide information necessary for negotiations.

The university system has called the union’s allegations “meritless,” and said it has offered a “robust economic proposal” that includes health care premium subsidies for lower-wage workers.

The union plans to strike at UC locations beginning immediately on Wednesday, and ending at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday.

“Thousands of our members, they’re furious. They’re fed up,” Perlman said.

Perlman said living costs are top-of-mind for workers in this first round of contract talks since the pandemic. The previous contracts were negotiated in 2019.

“The cost of living is out of control,” Perlman said. “Folks are struggling… Struggling to find housing, struggling to afford rent, struggling to keep up with the basics.”

UC Davis Health said that it is committed to good-faith negotiations, and has offered raises of nearly 27%.