UCLA must take responsibility for its subcontracted workers

Imagine living in a place where having a formal dining table or
a simple sofa is a luxury; where the bedroom, living room and
dining room become one room that two families call home. Picture a
place where having three meals a day is an everyday struggle.

You must wonder, “Does a place so humble and meager as
this really exist?”

For many of us, our first inclination is to assume that people
living under such poor conditions are only seen in developing
countries. Yet, you’d be surprised to learn that there are
people at UCLA, some of whom we unknowingly interact with on a
daily basis, facing these challenges.

How, you ask yourself, can this be possible at UCLA? Well,
it’s very possible when UCLA allows and supports
subcontracted companies, many of which blatantly exploit their
workers, to work on our campus. UCLA presently has service
contracts with numerous companies: AMPCO, Metro, AA Building
Maintenance and Diamond. AMPCO employs workers for parking services
in Lots 4, 8 and the Wilshire Center. Metro, AA and Diamond are all
companies hired to provide janitorial services for UCLA Facilities,
parking lots and the Anderson School of Business.

These workers, though subcontracted through these companies, all
provide direct services for UCLA. Yet, unlike workers who work
directly for UCLA, they are deprived of a living wage, adequate
health care, job security, sick time and vacation time.

But not only are they neglected of their basic benefits as
workers, the poor and unsafe conditions they work under are
unimaginable. On a daily basis, AMPCO workers are stationed in
closed parking structures with poor ventilation, where they are
constantly exposed to toxic car fumes. The workers under Metro, AA
and Diamond, though expected to clean and leave the bathrooms,
halls and parking structures spotless, are often not given the
proper materials and tools to do so.

These companies expect their workers to magically convert water
into all-purpose cleaner. Many workers complain they frequently
lack the most fundamental safety materials, such as gloves and
masks. And if a worker even thinks of expressing any concern about
their working conditions to their managers, their jobs are
immediately jeopardized.

If workers get sick, which is common considering the conditions
in which they work, days off are taken at the risk of being written
up or fired. Because they have no health care benefits or job
security, they are not paid sick days or vacation days. Their jobs
are immediately placed on the line.

Still, UCLA refuses to take responsibility for these injustices.
The university hides behind the excuse that these companies are
“outside” companies. But aren’t these so-called
“outside” companies the same companies contracting
workers to provide services directly to UCLA? Are these workers not
the same people who park the cars of directors over at
Transportation Services? Are they not the same workers enabling the
Anderson School of Business dean to boast about how spotless and
immaculate the building looks?

Then why are the workers not treated with the same respect and
dignity that other UCLA workers are? By not putting an end to these
subcontracting jobs and refusing to provide good jobs to those
workers currently serving and working at the university, UCLA is
violating the workers’ fundamental rights as human
beings.

Thus, as a UCLA student, I believe UCLA must stand true to its
slogan of quality and integrity. UCLA must treat all workers who
are responsible for performing the daily operations required to run
our university with equality, respect and dignity. UCLA should
immediately end its contract with all service contractors and hire
these dedicated workers directly.

Martinez is a third-year political science and international
development studies student and a member of the Student/Worker
Front.