By Joshua Cenzano
DAVIS, CA – Protestors, and workers from the CBG Building Company, posted and held signs this week at various locations on the campus of University of California at Davis, calling for an increase in wages in light of higher costs-of-living.
CBG Building Company is a nationwide development company that is building several housing complexes on or near the campus of UC Davis.
The demonstrators used “back in time” rhetoric to emphasize the company’s adherence to wage scales from several years ago.
Proponents of the protest believe that the company is “using wage rates from 2018 to pay workers right now” on one of its major construction projects in the Davis area, according to a sign from the demonstrators.
Further allegations noted at the protests include that the development company has attempted to bring in out-of-state workers to work for lower wages than local Davis candidates.
Demonstrators have called on both the company’s management and the chancellor of UC Davis to address these concerns and be more transparent for the public.
While the protestors have organized to call for better wages, they have affirmed that the protest was not a strike, and they did not call on anyone to stop working under current conditions.
True clearly cost of living rising insanely and with war in Ukraine gasoline poised to rise even more, also will trigger domestic drilling. So wages rise yes for those building on campus to keep up, but already cost to build a sustainable housing model is at the limits and thus the high cost to live on campus. Seems it is reaching a breaking point.
I’d say more but why bother?
It would be interesting to see a list of the housing complexes that this company is building “on or near” the campus.
How is that an “allegation” (e.g., in terms of any “wrongdoing”)?
(Curious as to where they’re temporarily living, as well.)
And, are there lots of construction workers who live in Davis, who would normally be working on such developments? But, are refusing to do so because the wages are too low? (I don’t think so.)
In regard to a construction project in the Davis area, why would the chancellor need to address that? Where exactly is this development, given that the article notes that they’re building both on, and off-campus?
And either way, they’re actually suggesting that the chancellor get involved with wages for contracts which already exist?
Imagine if homeowners did what the protesters are suggesting, telling a contractor something like this: