You would think that being a student at the U would mean you were informed about the projects on campus. This is not the case. There are many things that students are not informed about. The new Ambulatory Care Center is employing a company that is known as a labor violator. The students were not informed, but we should have been.
I saw a group of protestors above Greek Row picketing the construction site. Talking to them was the first time I had heard of this issue. The flyer they handed me said, “Jacobsen Construction, who is the general contractor, hired notorious drywall contractor Pete King for the IHC / Primary Children’s Medical Center.”
A quick Internet search revealed nothing. They do not even list Pete King Co. as the sub-contractor. It was only after calling their Arizona office that this was confirmed. Jacobsen Construction Co. and the U would not contact me back when I called them. When I called Pete King they were very hesitant about answering my questions, asking me who I was and why I was calling. This reaction makes sense when you begin looking at the company’s history.
This company has such an abusive history that a website now collects and tracks these violations — petekingtruth.com. In the last decade, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited over 150 violations to Pete King Construction Co. There have been numerous lawsuits filed against Pete King for a multitude of reasons, but the most deplorable thing though is how this company treats its employees.
According to petekingtruth.com, “In Las Vegas alone OSHA reported Pete King having 190 work-related injuries in just one 18-month period.” This company has no regard for their employees and that is reflected by their labor record. Another interesting thing to note is that this company gave $100,000 in support of Arizona’s 2008 Prop. 102. This was to amend the Arizona state constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. Yet on their website they say: “Providing a place of work that appreciates and values each and every worker has been a core philosophy of founders Pete and Jerry King, and remains a top priority in the company today.” It seems that Pete King Co. says one thing while what they practice differs dramatically.
This entire issue has been kept in the shadows away from the students. There are so many unanswered questions about this company. The fact is that they are a company that has a long list of labor violations, which appear to have very little respect for their workers.
The U is a great institution and who we employ should reflect the values at the U. By sub-contracting with Pete King Construction Co. the U is compromising their values. If the students were to be better informed about campus issue than maybe we could better get our voices heard.