Sunday, October 12th, 2008

Workers, students plan march to protest subcontracted labor

Demonstrators take strides to bring concerns to Chancellor friday

UCLA hasn’t yet granted employment to subcontracted parking workers, but the workers are determined to let the university’s chief administrator – along with the rest of the school – know they mean business.

In tandem with student supporters, workers have planned a march to Chancellor Albert Carnesale’s office for Friday at noon as a method of showing their desire to become unionized, full-time UCLA employees.

Lubbe Levin, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Campus Human Resources, said the workers are only here for “special needs,” specifically, the stack parking needed while construction is taking place. UCLA has to assess whether it is more financially feasible to have its own workers or to use supplemental assistance, she said.

Brian Rudiger, a union organizer for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, disagrees, arguing that UCLA should directly hire the workers until they don’t need them anymore.

“If that is nine months from now and stack parking is no longer needed, we will deal with that as it comes,” Rudiger said.

Students and workers gathered early Wednesday morning in Bruin Plaza and marched to the entrance of Lot 4 near the Anderson School at UCLA. They then blocked the morning traffic flow entering the lot from Sunset Boulevard, forming a human wall for a few minutes until police came and asked them to leave.

“This might be a slight inconvenience to (those motorists), but (workers) are inconvenienced every day,” said third-year theater student Iliana Carter after the demonstration.

During the Undergraduate Students Association Council meeting Tuesday, council members unanimously passed a resolution recommending an end to subcontracted labor at UCLA.

“Be it resolved that (USAC) wholeheartedly supports the courageous struggle of these workers to better their lives by organizing,” the resolution read.

Communicating through a Spanish translator, parking workers came to the meeting and gave testimony to the council about their mistreatment at the workplace, describing the lack of benefits and miniscule raises associated with their jobs.

According to the speakers, some of the workers wore buttons to work Tuesday supporting the union. They alleged their employer then ordered them to take off their buttons, penalizing those who refused.

At the meeting, USAC President Anica McKesey said she plans to write a letter to the chancellor expressing USAC’s support for the workers.

“(The vote) shows the solidarity between students and workers on campus,” said Academic Affairs Commissioner Sophia Kozak.

With reports from Menaka Fernando, Daily Bruin Staff.