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Some 60 UC Berkeley custodians and their supporters marched through campus Thursday afternoon to the chancellor’s office to present their applications for the newly created $282,000 per year post of Vice Chancellor of Equity and Inclusion.  

The goal of the action of the members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 was to point out to the university administration that they could not afford to live on the pay they earn at the university. 

Alicia Cesigui has worked at the university for 13 years and is at the top of the pay scale, earning $15.58 per hour, or $31,160 per year. A single mom who commutes to Berkeley from Pittsburg daily, she says she also cleans houses and does catering through her church to make ends meet. 

“Worst of all is after 20 years of service my wages have increased only $6 per hour,” added Carmen Aguilar, her sister, who has worked as a UC Berkeley custodian for 20 years and earns the same as Cesigui. 

The sisters were among the 10 or so custodians who filled out applications for the $282,000 job, which pays more than 9 times what Cesigui and Aguilar make. Applications were collected outside the chancellor’s office by Human Relations Director Debra Harrington. 

Paul Schwartz, UC spokesperson, said talking about the pay of custodians and the new vice chancellor post was like “comparing apples to oranges.” It’s about competition for talent, he said, referring to the $282,000 post. 

Aguilar disagreed: “It’s about making sure there is equality for all workers, not just those at the top,” she said.