Hi, I'm Elaine Jeffery, and I'm raising money on behalf of my colleague and fellow UPTE union member, Brendan Ford, pay for food and gas over the holiday season.

The last couple of years have been hard on most everyone, but technical workers at Berkeley Lab are consistently denied raises that would keep up with the cost of living in the Bay Area. In addition to this systemic issue that affects most techs at Berkeley Lab, Brendan, an Electrical Tech at the 88-inch cyclotron, has also had to deal with a number of personal hardships that have left him unable to afford basic necessities like food and gas. He has said that despite his kids bringing leftovers home from school for him to eat, he has lost 60 pounds in the last few months and has to borrow gas money to get to work.

To be clear, this is not meant to be a long-term solution. While Brendan's need may be acute, he is certainly not the only UPTE-represented, Berkeley Lab employee who is struggling financially. As techs and machinists with little experience are hired on--and in many cases payed more on their first day than their colleagues who have given Berkeley Lab years or decades of service--the consequences of choices made by Engineering management and Human Resources are becoming painfully clear. We will continue to push for raises so that dedicated, skilled employees like Brendan Ford can continue bringing science solutions to the world without struggling to financially stay afloat.

Thank you for your support,

--Elaine