FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Sanjay Garla, AFSCME 3299, 415-747-2328

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Senator Gloria Romero and Former Assemblyman Hertzberg Cancel Speaking Event at UC Berkeley
Momentum as Keynote Speakers Boycott Graduations at UC campuses

Berkeley, CA – Senator Gloria Romero, the Chair of the Education Senate Committee, announced today she
will not deliver the keynote address for the UC Berkeley Latino Student graduation ceremony this Saturday.
Instead Senator Romero will honor a speakers boycott that has been called by labor unions and student
organizations.

“It was with a heavy heart that I informed the UCB students and dedicated faculty and staff that I would not
appear to deliver my remarks in person. What an irony I would have seen: on one hand, students in robes
celebrating the overcoming of obstacles and staking their claim in the American Dream; on the other hand, I
would have seen Latino workers—perhaps their own uncles and aunts, holding picket signs asking this
internationally acclaimed university to simply pay them a living wage so that the graduates’ younger
“hermanitos” could one day attend the same university!”

Romero joins other keynote speakers who will not be participating in upcoming graduation ceremonies at UC
Berkeley until a resolution is reached on the issues:
• Robert Hertzberg, former Speaker of the California State Assembly, had planned to speak at the UC
Berkeley Political Science graduation on Monday, May 17.
• Karen Joy Fowler, highly acclaimed author, had planned to speak at the UC Berkeley’s English
Department Graduation on Sunday, May 23.

Speakers boycotts have been called on several other UC campuses as well. Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez
(D-47) has canceled her appearance at UC Riverside’s College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Graduation on June 12.

“I have decided not to deliver the commencement address at UC Riverside’s graduation. My family roots are in
organized labor and, in good conscience, I cannot and will not cross the picket line to speak," Sanchez said. "I
wish nothing but the best for this year’s young graduates and hope they will respect my decision to stand in
solidarity with my union brothers and sisters. In Congress, I will continue fighting to ensure that all American
workers are treated justly and fairly.”

The boycotts have been called, in part, because of mandatory reductions in hours for low-wage service workers,
such as custodians and food service workers. These reductions have caused workers to lose 4-6 percent in take-
home pay when some make as little as $24,000 a year. In some of the worst situations, workers whose cuts are
concentrated in the summer will lose 20 percent of pay over three months.

The $7 million saved through work hour reductions for members of AFSCME 3299 is overshadowed by $9
million in increases gained by UC executives.

“These cuts have been devastating for low-wage workers,” said Lakesha Harrison, president of AFSCME 3299,
“Layoffs and reduction in hours are only the tip of the iceberg. UC executives are now proposing massive cuts
to our retirement. We may be facing a double whammy – a depletion of our savings now and a gutting of the
income we were counting on for our future.”

The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 (AFSCME 3299) represents
over 20,000 University of California service and patient care workers. The UC Berkeley speakers boycott has
also been called by the Union of Professional and Technical Employees, CWA Local 1 (UPTE 1) represents UC
research support and technical workers.

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Demands for UC Berkeley’s Hunger Strike and Speakers Boycott:

UC Berkeley’s student hunger strikers as well as AFSCME 3299 and UPTE are asking Chancellor
Birgeneau to meet six demands in order to end the hunger strike and lift the speakers boycott:

1. Publicly denounce Arizona’s SB1070 Law and ask President Yudof and other UC Chancellors to do
the same. We urge you to bring this up at tomorrow’s UC system-wide meeting with other Chancellors.
Blatantly racist and xenophobic laws run counter to the values of the UC education system.

2. Make UC Berkeley a Sanctuary Campus and provide extensive protection for undocumented students.

3. Drop all student conduct charges related to protest actions that occurred during the academic year
2009-10.

4. Stop cuts to low-wage workers on campus and stop attacks against union activists; rehire all
AFSCME service workers and UPTE union activists and Cal performances employees.

5. Suspend the Student code of conduct and initiate a democratic student-led process to review the code.
Those participating in this process should be charged with attending particularly to concerns about
students’ due process rights and to free speech considerations. If, through this review, it is determined
that a new code can be written in any way that adequately addresses these concerns, a new code should
be written by a democratic, student-led body. If not, the student code of conduct should be abolished.

6. Accept responsibility for the violence and escalation of the confrontation surrounding Wheeler Hall
on November 20th and December 11th 2009 that resulted in injuries to many students and jeopardized
the safety and security of AB540 students. Additionally, commit to using non-violent means of ensuring
safety at student demonstrations in the future.

For up-to-date information on the hunger strike visit our Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114079228632152