UC Berkeley students arrested after sit-in over contract worker pay

By Katy Murphy

BERKELEY — Students protesting the pay and treatment of subcontracted custodians and parking attendants — including some who work for a contractor under federal investigation — staged a sit-in Thursday at California Hall, home to the campus chancellor’s office.

“A broad coalition of students demands that their tuition dollars no longer fund racism and injustice at the UC,” the Student Labor Committee, which organized the protest, said in a statement. The group maintains that the workers — who typically earn less than UC employees doing similar jobs — were “exclusively people of color.”

A few dozen students chanted and danced in the lobby as AFSCME 3299 workers rallied outside.

UC police arrested 22 protesters, all students, and issued them citations on campus, said Sgt. Sabrina Reich.

The campus responded that it has raised wages for employees and contract workers alike as part of the University of California’s new Fair Work/Fair Wage plan, which was announced in July. The wage for those working at least 20 hours a week will rise to $15 an hour by 2017, according to the plan, and will include measures to ensure contractors comply.

But at least one company has been accused of flouting the rules in the past. Performance First, one UC contractor, is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, spokesman Jose Carnevali confirmed. Carnevali would not confirm the alleged labor violations, which protesters includes allegations of child labor law abuses and failing to pay overtime.

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[Source]: San Jose Mercury News