A union of plumbers, electricians and other workers will strike and protest for five days against what they call unfair and illegal labor practices at the University of California, Los Angeles. The Teamsters Local 2010 will start striking midnight Friday.

The announcement of the strike came Thursday, and the strike will start with a walkout. The union’s statement said the action could disrupt activities on the UCLA campus, the UCLA Center for Health Sciences, UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, and other ongoing events. It has advised people to steer clear of the UCLA campus and medical centers, and urged them to reschedule their nonessential medical appointments instead.

"The strike is expected to have significant impact on critical services, and will affect students returning from winter break, as well as the public," the union said, according to a report by the Associated Press (AP).

UCLA has maintained the strike is in violation of the law but their legal request of blocking the strike through an injunction was rejected by the California Public Employment Relations Board. The university said it will keep the campus and medical centers fully operational.

Tuesday next week, following the five-day strike, thousands of clerical and administrative support workers will protest and strike against the entire University of California system and five UC hospitals. The Teamster Union is attempting to broker a separate type of contract for the two different types of employees.

Christian Castro, a union spokesman, told AP the group has filed complaints with the California Public Employment Relations Board and is awaiting a ruling on the matter.

The union is protesting the absence of any raises or offerings of contracts for the skilled trade workers at UCLA in the past four years. The university, however, has denied any allegations of misconduct and claims it has been mediating with the union since Aug. 30 in order to provide them with a new contract. The school said the new contract offers an immediate raise of 12.5 percent along with additional annual raises through 2020, according to AP.

"UCLA respects the contributions of its workers and shares in their desire to come to agreements on fair and competitive contracts in the near future…This resolution, however, will be achieved only if all parties engage in respectful and productive dialogue at the bargaining table." UCLA said in a statement.

Additionally, the University of California is also brokering an agreement for granting new contacts that offer 3 percent annual raises for the next six years for more than 11,500 clerical and administrative support workers.

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