Ryan's Painting is a San Diego-based painting company who has failed to pay over a dozen workers for up to seven weeks.

The U.C., in conjunction with the general contractor Prowest, allowed this to happen. Prowest recently admitted to some knowledge of falsified documents stating that workers are making over $30 per hour, a figure three times the actual salary of most. Workers who brought the injustices to light were threatened with deportation.

Luis Robles, a spokesperson for the Painters and Allied Trades union, stated, "they [Ryan's Painting] think that they [the workers] will just go away and never get paid a dime."

There were two apparent main goals of the protest; those present were both concerned with sending a message to the U.C. system to hire more responsible contractors and to get the money to the workers.

"Is doing the work more important than the exploitation of these workers?" asks Mike Gutierrez from Painters and Allied Trades.

Among those in attendance were U.C. students and professors, the aforementioned Painters and Allied Trades union, painters from Ryan's Painting, members of the press and other concerned people.

One painter, a woman named Sara, said, "We're very thankful for the support. We really hope this works, because another week without work... It's very hard. Christmas is coming, and my children are already asking for gifts, and we won't be able to give them any."

It is estimated that over $87,000 is owed to the painters. When they would take their checks, personal checks from Ryan's personal account rather than his business account, to the bank, they would bounce. Also, one painter recalled being told that his check was in the mail, but never received it.

"All we ask," said Gutierrez, "is that we get these workers their money, nothing more."

This rat represents the "rat contractor."

At the peak of the march, before marching to Cheadle Hall where U.C.S.B. administration has its offices.

error

error

I apologize sincerely for my misspelling of the word "students" in the headline.

Was this contractor hiring illegals or is that just an allegation?

Last I heard "illegal" was an *adjective* meaning [fill in the noun] not authorized by law. And then there's the question of who's law, but let's skip that for now.

Last I checked, "illegal" isn't a person, place, or thing. If you speak English, you know that. So would anybody who spoke German, French, Spanish, and Italian, I believe. Don't know about other languages--anyone out there know of a language that has a noun that equates to a noun form of "illegal"? Meaning just something, anything illegal, as in "Watch it, matey, that U-turn's an illegal." No? Then this writer apparently doesn't speak any language, at least not very well.

Now, of course, you can change English, but then you'd have to make people who carry concealed weapons without a permit "illegals." and speeders. and people who taze people in parking lots. and people who put batteries in the trash. and people who wave guns out of their truck cabs.

ref: "How To Spot a Minuteman in Under Three Seconds"

These type of people such as this contractor that don't bother themselves to pay their workers are pathological people. It is difficult to think that normal human beings with conscience and empathy towards other human beings and enough money will do this to other human beings.

Seems something similar to the psychopathy we witness in politicians. Few days ago I've found an interesting site on the issue, that made understand why certain people in power behaves like this:
You might wish to read this: http://www.ponerology.com/