Vigil held for subcontracted workers

UCLA workers and students stood in a circle together, holding
flowers and chanting “Si se puede (Yes, you can)!”

The group of people were part of the Vigil for Justice in
support of non-student workers who want to be hired by UCLA
directly, rather than through subcontractors.

The workers are not part of a union which would supply them with
health benefits, retirement benefits and paid vacations.

“At work, currently, we don’t have any breaks and we
don’t have any vacations,” said Sandy Perez, translated
by German Gurrola. Perez is a subcontracted worker for parking
services.

The workers are also paid minimum wage or slightly above,
whereas union employees receive higher pay.

These factors were all general issues the workers at the vigil
brought up to their audience.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees, and the Student Worker’s Front organized the vigil
which took place Tuesday evening at the Bruin Bear.

Over 100 students and workers were present at the event to learn
more about the cause being supported and to hear about a few of the
workers’ experiences.

Allowing students to hear about these experiences is a means of
building awareness on campus and shows the university that the
workers’ cause is an issue that cannot be ignored, said Luu
Doan, community coordinator for AFSCME.

“We want the university to see that this isn’t an
issue about being cost effective. … This is a moral issue,”
she said.

Oseas Centen, a worker under the subcontractor AMPCO, talked to
the audience about how he was accused of stealing. Both he and his
car were ordered to be searched by his manager, he said.

“I have never felt so humiliated … but in support of my
co-workers, they told me to keep on going as we’re doing
right now,” Centen said, translated by Gurrola.

Other workers said they were not allowed to speak Spanish while
on the job.

The university has also hired 11 workers under the
subcontracting company AA Building Maintenance to clean out all of
the parking lots equipped with a broom and dustpan, said Brian
Rudiger, an organizer of the Vigil working for AFSCME.

According to AFSCME, the majority of subcontracted workers are
Latino immigrants, while the remainder are either black or Pilipino
American.

Many of the students listening to the workers’ stories
were members of the Student Worker’s Front, and felt strongly
about the issue.

“If the students don’t stand up for them, then
who’s going to stand up for these workers?” said
Veronica Tadeo, a second-year undeclared student.

This past year, support from AFSCME made a major change within
food service employment.

AFSCME and the Associated Students of UCLA worked together to
get food service workers full benefits and wages.

All of the vigil participants at the event hoped for the same
success in terms of their more recent cause.

Both the workers and students shared the idea that the non-union
employees are not receiving the payment, in both work environment
and benefits, they deserve.

“That’s why we’re all here. We all want
something better,” said Luz Andino, a subcontracted
worker.