ASUCLA workers speak to labor issues class

By Hilaire Fong
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]

One professor has taken it upon himself to watch out for
workers.

Professor Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda allowed nine Associated Students
of UCLA workers to come into his class Wednesday to speak about
their attempts to unionize.

Hinojosa-Ojeda’s Chicana/o studies 125 class,
“United States-Mexico Relations,” examines labor issues
and the rights of immigrant workers.

Hinojosa-Ojeda, who wanted to show his class how major
institutions like UCLA are still not providing full rights to
workers, said the workers’ situation is very relevant to his
class as well as to Los Angeles and world economy classes.

“Here is a real-life worker’s struggle, right before
your eyes,” Hinojosa-Ojeda announced to his students before
the workers spoke.

About 130 ASUCLA workers, who are subcontracted and do not
receive benefits or health care, are trying to form a union by
conducting a card-signing campaign. If a majority of the workers
sign cards indicating their preference to form a union, the ASUCLA
Board of Directors will have no choice but to recognize their
request.

When American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees members met with ASUCLA officials on April 26, the
association postponed its decision about whether or not to
recognize a union because it was not placed on that meeting’s
agenda.

Workers cannot afford to live near campus, said Lu Valle Commons
worker Martha Castaneda.

“I live near Culver City, and it takes 40 minutes on the
bus to get to work,” she said.

Silvestre Martinez, who worked at Lu Valle Commons for eight
years, said he was unable to keep his job during past summers. Now
he works during the summer, but his hours have been cut down.

Concluding their visit with Hinojosa-Ojeda’s class, the
workers asked for student support and encouraged them to call and
put pressure on Chancellor Albert Carnesale and UC President
Richard Atkinson.

“This is definitely something the university should take
the lead in, involving students and faculty to improve working
conditions,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said.

It is in the best interest of the university to resolve this
situation before it becomes an issue of strong protest, he
continued.

Hinojosa-Ojeda said he plans to continue helping the workers by
spreading the word to other faculty members.