Robert Kennedy Jr. Moves Speech Off UC Berkeley Campus in Support of UC Service Workers Fight to End Poverty Wages at UC

Robert Kennedy Jr., author, and the Mario Savio Memorial Lecture & Young Activist Award moved their scheduled event off the  UC Berkeley Campus grounds in support of service workers who are fighting to end poverty wages at the Univeristy of California.

Robert Kennedy, Jr. joins former President Bill Clinton, retired General Wesley Clark, Academy Award Winning Actor Danny Glover, Congressmember Barbara Lee, Congressmember Henry Waxman, Congressmember Hilda Solis, former Speaker Emeritus of the California Assembly Fabian Núñez, Assemblymember and Assemblymembers John Laird, Assemblywoman and Fiona Ma and many others in refusing to speak on a UC Campus until the leadership of the University agrees to end poverty at UC.  This decision to relocate the event to an off campus venue is a continuation of a speaking boycott that started with UC graduation ceremonies two years ago.  The speaking cancellations are ongoing in support of the 8,500 UC service workers who are trying to negotiate a fair contract with the University. 

“I was deeply honored to be invited to speak at the Mario Savio Memorial Lecture & Young Activist Award and have been looking forward to participating in the event .  Unfortunately, I am not able to cross the picket line and we will be moving the event off campus.  I very much hope the university can resolve the outstanding issues with AFSCME."  – Robert Kennedy, Jr.

“We are saddened and frustrated that, for the first time in its twelve year history, the Mario Savio Memorial Lecture cannot be held on the Berkeley campus because of the university administration’s failure to reach a fair and just agreement with its lowest paid workers. Our speaker, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has refused to speak on campus until UC resolves this contract dispute over poverty-level wages for its service workers.  While we are grateful that the Berkeley School District has made the Community Theater available for the lecture on Dec. 4th, it is bitterly ironic that an event honoring a Berkeley campus hero cannot be held on that campus due to the intransigence of the administration” – Lynne Hollander Savio

The 8,500 service workers do everything from preparing nutriontional meals for hospital patients and students to cleaning dorm rooms in the University of California’s ten campus/five hospital system.  UC service workersThey have been negotiating for a fair contract since October, 2007.

 “It is refreshing to see Robert F. Kennedy Jr. openly and actively express his support for the UC workers' struggle against poverty.  I can only hope that UC President Mark Yudof and the Regents take his actions as an example and finally negotiate fair terms for the service workers' contract.  The service workers at UC are arguably the hardest workers within the institution, as well as the least appreciated.  Their fair contract is long overdue” stated Neel Rao, a UC Berkeley student.

At issue are UC wages for service workers, wages are as low as $10 an hour, and 96% of UC service workers are income eligible for at least one of the following public assistance programs: food stamps, WIC, public housing subsidies, and reduced lunch. Many work 2-3 jobs to meet their families’ basic needs.

State funds comprise only 8.6% of the funding for the 20,000 workers. The vast majority of funding comes from the UC hospitals which posted profits of $371 million last year. California State-appointed neutral Factfinder Carol Vendrillo, who independently evaluated the labor dispute, said, “It is not the lack of state funding but the University’s priorities…It is time for UC to take a broader view of its priorities by honoring the important contribution that service workers make to the U.C. community and compensating them with wages that are in line with the competitive market rate.”

In addition to the speech by Robert Kennedy, Jr. acclaimed author Mr. Van Jones has withdrawn from his scheduled speech on the UC Berkeley Campus.  Mr. Jones recently released a highly acclaimed book “The Green Collar Economy” and has dedicated much of his life fighting for the disadvantaged in our society.