Drywall Strikers Return to Palmdale Day After Arrests

With three attorneys in tow, striking drywall workers returned to Palmdale on Wednesday to continue their protest for higher wages and complained about the arrests of demonstrators the day before.

For two days, about 100 strikers from Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties had descended upon Palmdale housing construction sites to try to persuade working drywall installers to leave their jobs.

On Tuesday, about 75 Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies from several stations were sent to break up two protests. Deputies made 16 arrests on suspicion of vandalism, and one on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Damage was minimal and there were no injuries reported.

Christopher Dale said he and two other attorneys representing the protesters attended demonstrations Wednesday to ensure that “both sides are following the rules. “

“It was peaceful” Wednesday and there were no arrests, Sheriff’s Lt. Terry Lewis said.

Drywallers picketed four housing construction sites, located at Solmira Place and Palmetto Drive, 30th Street West and Avenue 0-8, Pearblossom Highway and 30th Street East, and Highland Court and Diamond Street.

At Highland Court and Diamond Street, demonstrators cheered loudly for about a dozen drywall workers they persuaded to walk off their jobs to join them.

Drywaller Vidal Gody, 22, of Santa Ana, said he joined the strike because after four years his wages had shrunk to $150 to $200 a week, not enough to support his family of four.

“I don’t want to work anymore without a union,” Gody said. “No union--no more drywall. I would do better working in a berry field with a union.”

For nearly four months, about 1,000 drywallers and wall tapers in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties have been on strike, demanding local union representation and higher pay. Industry sources say the work has been done by non-union laborers and workers represented by a Northern California union.

The protesters and attorneys said they did not know if they would return to Palmdale again today or later in the week.