Petition to UC: Respect Richmond!

The new campus will be three quarters the size of the current UC Berkeley campus once complete, and could transform one of the most disadvantaged communities in all of California.

Richmond, a community made up of 83% people of color and where 1 in 3 children live in poverty, has a long history of environmental degradation, poor public health outcomes, lack of affordable housing, poorly performing public schools and a severe shortage of good middle class jobs.

The University of California has an opportunity, and the ability, to help lift out of poverty a community where real economic opportunity has remained out of reach for the majority of its residents.

Therefore we call on the University of California to sign a legally binding community benefits agreement that includes:

Housing: Invest in an Anti-Displacement Fund to subsidize the development of affordable housing units and protect low income tenants.

Training: Invest in training programs to ensure that local and disadvantaged workers develop skills for professions on the Richmond Bay Campus.

Living Wage: Institute a living wage policy to lift all workers out of poverty at the Berkeley Global Campus.

Construction Jobs: Sign a Project Labor Agreement with the Contra Costa Building Trades Council that ensures union representation and includes local hire language.

Permanent Employment: Ensure jobs similarly performed at UC's Berkeley campus covered by collective bargaining agreements remain UC jobs at the new campus.

Small Business: Invest in and enhance opportunities for small businesses.

Education: Invest in a Youth Opportunity and Education Fund for Pre K-12 and community college students to help build career pathways.