Current Campaigns

AFSCME Solidarity

The American Federation of State Municipal and County Employees (AFSCME) is the union that represents workers on our campus. For the past several years, we have worked in close coordination with the union to promote awareness about the working conditions on our own campus.

When the UC refused to release money that was designated by the state to increase custodial wages at UC Berkeley, SOJA stood in solidarity with the union to tell the UC to pay its workers right. The UC had recieved an additional $2.5 million to increase workers wages. However, the University was more interested in using the money to fuel its bureuacracy. For the entire 2006-2007 school year, SOJA pushed the adminstration to release the custodial equity money. This culminated in three instances of civil disobediance and picketing the graduation ceremony, forcing the Graduation speaker to bail out in both 2006 and 2007.

Finally, in May 2007, the university agreed to give the workers the $1.75/hour raise that they deserved. But the work is not done. Beginning in Fall 2007, AFSCME will be renegotiating the three year collective bargaining agreement for custodial workers and patientcare workers. It is vital that students continue to push the University to bargain in good faith with the union, and support the people who keep our university running.

Coca-Cola Campaign

Since fall 2002, we have been pressuring the Coca-Cola company - which has a 10 year agreement with UC Berkeley - to stop the intimidation and murder of trade union members in Colombia. Across the country, over 20 campuses across the nation have kicked Coca-Cola off their campuses. Learn more at the Killer Coke web site and check this site for updates!

In the Fall of 2004 SOJA continued to do outreach to other groups and students on campus about the Coca-Cola campaign.

In addition, we co-hosted with the Black Bear Collective, a showing of the documentary "The Miami Model", a video about the anti-WTO protests in Miami, Florida.

In October, 2004, SOJA brought representatives from the Nueva Vida Sewing Co-operative (Managua, Nicaragua) to the UC Berkeley campus. The women discussed their struggle in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, which destroyed their homes, and how they built their own sewing co-operative to support themselves and their families. All other sewing facilities in Nicaragua are free trade sweatshops. The Nueva Vida co-operative is the only fair-trade alternative in their country.

SPRING SEMESTER: On February 11, 2005, we held a demonstration/candlelight vigil out front of the UCOP (Office of the UC President) in Oakland. Tombstones with the names of the unionists brutally murdered were placed in front of the building, along with candles. This day was chosen because Coca-Cola sent representatives to speak with administrators about the situation in Colombia during the morning. SOJA and the IRLF brought Javier Correa, the President of SINALTRAINAL, the Colombian union sueing Coca-Cola, to the area to speak with the administrators that afternoon. The meeting was a huge success for the Colombian workers, as is seems that the administrators are siding with us, not Coca-Cola!!!!!!