To: Janet Napolitano, UC President
UC President Napolitano: Pay UC Support Staff Enough to Live
According to a study by the Economic Policy Institute, 98% of clerical support staff at the University of California cannot afford to make ends meet in the cities in which they work. Many of us are forced to commute 30 minutes or more to work because we can’t afford to live near our jobs. As the largest public university in the United States, we believe UC has a responsibility to benefit the public through its students, its community and its employees. As employees of the UC and members of Teamsters Local 2010, we call on you to recognize our struggle on your second anniversary at the head of the UC. President Napolitano: pay us enough to live.
Why is this important?
A recent EPI study showed that over 98% of clerical support staff at the University of California cannot afford to meet the basic family budget for a single parent with one child in the city where they work. Because of this, many of the support staff at the UC are forced to move farther from their work site, borrow money from family, and in even cut back on necessities. It is time for the UC to recognize the hard work the clerical support staff does to keep the University of California running. It is time to pay us a living wage.