FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Liz Perlman, Lead Organizer AFSCME 3299, (510) 316-4772

Kathryn Lybarger, Lead Gardener, UC Berkeley, (510) 459-6250
Juan Garcia, Administrative Assistant, (424) 603-9170

STRIKERS TO DUMP UNCOLLECTED TRASH AT UC BERKELEY CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE

Angry campus community demands student fee increases be used to rehire 38 laid-off custodians
to restore campus health and safety

In the wake of the UC Regents’ vote to increase student fees by 32%, striking UC Berkeley students,
staff and faculty plan to dump their uncollected trash from buildings all over campus at the offices of
UC top administration, including UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. The strikers’ demands
include the rehiring of nearly 40 custodian and building maintenance workers laid-off in recent budget
cuts. The staffing cuts have left uncollected trash throughout Berkeley offices and classrooms as new
cleaning schedules force remaining custodians to leave trash for up to 1 week. For many on campus,
this raises serious health and safety concerns as uncollected trash spreads disease and creates fire
hazards.

“We’re tired of the trash piling up, and we’re tired of seeing how overworked our custodians are. Now
the Regents’ have raised student fees, we want the Chancellor to clean up the mess he’s made and use
student money to rehire the laid-off custodian and maintenance workers. If they are going to use
students’ money to build new buildings, they must pay to keep them clean”
Juan Garcia, Administrative Assistant, Graduate Division.

Chancellor Birgeneau and other campus administration have refused to meet with custodians regarding
the impacts of lay-offs on the health and safety of UC Berkeley campus.

WHEN: Thursday November 19, 2009, 3:05pm

WHERE: California Hall, east side, UC Berkeley Campus.