April 8, 2024
The Berkeley Law School and the United Auto Workers (UAW) have a mutual goal of promoting the exercise of academic freedom by all members of the UC Berkeley community. The Law School and UAW are jointly committed to promoting and maintaining a work environment that is healthy and free of abusive conduct in which every employee and member of the Berkeley Law School community is treated with respect.
In October, a Berkeley Law professor wrote an op-ed and provided statements to the press that described Berkeley Law students—including student workers—as antisemitic, and called on employers not to hire them. That professor was speaking for himself, as is his right under the First Amendment, but did not represent the views of Berkeley Law.
No student employee is required to work for this professor, or any other professor, if they do not wish to do so. The Berkeley Law School and the UAW are strongly committed to helping all workers succeed in their employment. Workers will not be unreasonably denied letters of recommendation on the basis of their political or ideological beliefs.
If you are a UAW-represented worker in the Berkeley Law School and feel that you are unable to perform or benefit from your University employment because of any abusive conduct, or that your work environment is intimidating or hostile—particularly if the hostility targets your political or ideological beliefs—reach out to your union representatives at berkeley@uc-uaw.org.