FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2009
CONTACT: Eduardo Martinez
916-319-2044

Higher Education Chair Commends All Parties for Settling Year Long
Labor Dispute

SACRAMENTO, CA – Assemblymember Anthony J. Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) praised the settlement
between the University of California (UC) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
Local 3299 on a year long labor dispute that kept thousands workers without a contract and under compensated.

“Today’s news is a victory not only for the 8,500 UC service workers covered by this agreement, but for the UC as
well,” said Portantino, Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee. “During the worst economic crisis
since the Great Depression, it is particularly important that these low-paid workers be offered a contract that
honors their service and is commensurate with similar jobs at other public universities. I would like to commend
President Yudof for recognizing this and supporting a fair outcome to this dispute.”

According to AFSCME, wage levels established by the previous contract were so low for service workers that 96%
are income eligible for at least one form of public assistance like food stamps, WIC, public housing subsidies, and
subsidized child care. Rising grocery bills and the increasing risk of home foreclosure has caused a crisis for these
thousands of UC service workers and their families that are already living paycheck to paycheck.

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