daily californian logo

BERKELEY'S NEWS • SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

Apply to The Daily Californian by September 8th!

Subcontracted campus workers insourced as UC employees, ending speakers' boycott

article image

AUDREY MCNAMARA | STAFF

SUPPORT OUR NONPROFIT NEWSROOM

We're an independent student-run newspaper, and need your support to maintain our coverage.

MARCH 18, 2016

After nearly seven months of campaigning, 69 previously subcontracted workers have officially been insourced as UC employees, ending an ongoing campus speakers’ boycott.

The workers — employed by ABM, PerformanceFirst and LAZ Parking — were previously a part of the University of California’s two-tier employment policy.

The campus employs some individuals directly, or in-house, while others who do temporary or seasonal work are employed as subcontracted workers, receiving reduced pay and fewer benefits than their directly employed counterparts.

UC labor union AFSCME Local 3299, along with the campus’ Student Labor Committee, has upheld a campus speakers’ boycott in support of subcontracted workers, most notably protesting campus speakers such as Alphabet Inc. executive chair Eric Schmidt and Salesforce.com CEO and founder Marc Benioff.

Action in support of the speakers’ boycott has stemmed from both campus and city entities in the past month.

During a Graduate Assembly meeting Thursday evening, delegates voted to encourage the university to “promptly negotiate a resolution to the (boycott),” according to an email from Graduate Assembly President Jenna Kingkade to delegates.

During its Tuesday meeting, Berkeley City Council adopted a resolution in support of hiring subcontracted workers as UC employees, and of AFSCME Local 3299 and its boycott.

“It’s a sad situation, you know, where employees have worked for many, many years but they don’t have the proper treatment by the companies,” said Councilmember Kriss Worthington at a previous meeting.

Check back here for updates.

Adrienne Shih is the city news editor. Contact her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @adrienneshih.
LAST UPDATED

MARCH 18, 2016


Related Articles

featured article
At its Tuesday meeting, Berkeley City Council adopted a resolution to support UC Berkeley’s subcontracted workers and endorse AFSCME Local 3299’s speakers’ boycott on campus.
At its Tuesday meeting, Berkeley City Council adopted a resolution to support UC Berkeley’s subcontracted workers and endorse AFSCME Local 3299’s speakers’ boycott on campus.
featured article
featured article
A UC labor union is calling for a speaker’s boycott at UC Berkeley for the duration of the spring semester, urging the campus to improve its treatment of subcontracted workers.
A UC labor union is calling for a speaker’s boycott at UC Berkeley for the duration of the spring semester, urging the campus to improve its treatment of subcontracted workers.
featured article
featured article
Several dozen students, workers and community members marched to various locations on campus and in the city Monday, delivering petitions calling for the insourcing of all subcontracted employees at UC Berkeley.
Several dozen students, workers and community members marched to various locations on campus and in the city Monday, delivering petitions calling for the insourcing of all subcontracted employees at UC Berkeley.
featured article