Picketers gather outside Mrak Hall on May 26 during a planned University Professional and Technical Employees strike that included representatives from the American Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees unions. The university has been negotiating a contract with UPTE — which represents 10,000 UC employees — since May 2004. There are 1,666 technical and research employees at UC Davis represented by UPTE. About 50 people participated in the strike, with picketers visiting a half dozen campus sites.