UCSD students congregated at the University Towne Centre shopping mall in La Jolla Tuesday to rally against what they call unfair labor practices by Westfield America Inc., which owns 40 shopping centers nationwide.
Guardian
The protesters, primarily members of campus group Students for Economic Justice, claimed that Building One Services Corp., a major West Coast cleaning contractor used by Westfield America, unjustly fired six janitors from Horton Plaza and one from Fashion Valley. Protesters said that the janitors were fired without notice, and that the fired workers were trying to attain better wages and benefits by organizing a union.
“”I’m doing this because I feel it’s the least I can do,”” said Roosevelt sophomore Lucia Moritz, one of about 20 students who protested.
Westfield America acquired the UTC mall in 1998, and renamed it Westfield Shoppingtown UTC. Westfield America owns 20 shopping centers in California, eight of which are in the San Diego area.
Guardian
The protesters said that Westfield America should not have hired BOS, and that UTC should hire the workers who were fired from the other locations.
Both Westfield America and UTC declined to comment on the issue.
According to the Los Angeles Times, two BOS subcontractors in Los Angeles were convicted of felonies this year, including “”theft of labor,”” or severely underpaying their workers.
“”Everyone should be guaranteed a minimum standard of living and a minimum standard of decency in the workplace,”” said protester Alex Menchaca, a Marshall senior. “”These rights have been violated. It’s about equality.””
The band of protesters burst through the doors of the UTC food court and filed in with colorful signs, drums and an enormous wood-and-cardboard model of a female worker. The group then marched through UTC, followed closely by television cameras, photojournalists and several security guards.
Protesters assembled around the fountain in the center of the mall, where Muir senior Jessica Lopez spoke to a crowd of onlookers and protesters holding up banners proclaiming messages such as, “”Danger: Educated Students”” and “”Students for Economic Justice: Making the Invisible Visible.””
After about half an hour, the protesters dispersed on a threat of police intervention.
Students for Economic Justice also participated in last year’s successful efforts to provide better benefits and wages for UCSD janitors.
