Berkeley – Danny Glover announced today that he is joining with Congresswoman Barbara Lee in supporting the ongoing boycott by UC workers against UC Berkeley due to the unsolved issue of pay equity for custodians.

“I am disappointed that UC has continued to deny equitable wages to these hard working individuals and unless this issue is solved immediately, I will not participate in the upcoming graduation festivities at UC Berkeley. If UC does not fix this problem I will join the boycott. As the richest public university in America it is wrong that UC would choose to pay its’ custodians poverty wages. I stand with the hard working men and women at UC Berkeley and call on University President Dynes to address this issue immediately” stated Glover.

Before the boycott began last year, custodians who clean the dorms and classrooms at UC Berkeley have been urging the Chancellor to end poverty wages. Currently, a custodian who has worked at U.C. Berkeley for 5 full years is only making approximately $12 per hour, while at a neighboring community college, Peralta, they would be earning $18.30 per hour. According to the Economic Policy Institute 100% of the custodians at UC Berkeley earn a wage that is below the $19.78 per hour needed to support a one parent and one child household in the East Bay.

“When AFSCME Local 3299 approached me last year to boycott the graduation at UC Berkeley, it was my hope that the actions that I took would help bring a quick resolution to this issue and the hard working employees of the UC Berkeley would get the living and equitable wage that they deserve. As an alumna of UC Berkeley, I am deeply disappointed that this issue has not been resolved and I hope that it be resolved quickly," expressed Congresswoman Lee.

Mr. Glover joins Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Vice President Al Gore, Senator John Edwards, Senator Barack Obama, Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean, Speaker Fabian Nunez, State Senator Leland Yee and many other elected officials and community activist in boycotting the campuses of UC Berkeley, Irvine, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz until this issue of pay equity is sufficiently solved.

“I am a graduate of UC-Berkeley, and yet I have not stepped foot on the campus in over a year because the UC has delayed in providing workers a livable and sustainable wage. I commend Danny Glover for standing with us in solidarity in this fight. These workers are the backbone of our university and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. I urge the administration and Regents to use the same level of diligence in approving fair wages for their workers as they have their top executives” concluded State Senator Leland Yee.

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Pictures from the press conferece:
http://www.pixagogo.com/4901384169