By Doug Cunningham

It took nearly two years and a wide-ranging campaign of civil disobedience and boycotts, but AFSCME Local 3299 in California this week won pay equity for custodians at the University of California. AFSCME’s Debra Grabelle.

[Grabelle 1]: “In this struggle we had three different civil disobedience actions. Over ninety-one people have gotten arrested during it. Danny Glover, Senator John Edwards, Bill Clinton, Congresswoman Barbara Lee all honored and actively supported a boycott of the university."

The custodians involved in the pay equity fight will get a pay raise of $1.75 an hour and the university has agreed to an additional fifty cents an hour for custodians statewide.

[Grabelle 2]: “We all learned that when the fight is just as long as you don't give up that you will win. And all of labor needs to struggle until we win and not give up."