Bakersfield College hosted its first segment of The Renegade Roundtable on Sept. 27. Five BC professors, Reggie Williams, Savannah Andrasian, Matthew Maddex, Javier Llamas, and Joe Saldivar led the discussion. The interdisciplinary panel gathered at the Levan Center to speak about labor unions and wages from both a past and present standpoint.
The discussion begins with the panel talking about strikes seen this year. Three of the strikes mentioned were the pilot strike, the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike and the Writers Guild of America strike. Andrasian brought up the demands of the UAW workers which included a 15% increase in base payment, a 36-40% wage increase over the next 4 years and better retirement benefits. They discussed cost of living and how it plays a big role in determining what a “fair wage” is, determining that therefore strikes are very common in today’s day and age.
Maddex began the history section of the discussion by talking about the early stages of labor strikes, as he explained how the 1768 New York tailors strike paved the way for labor unions. Known as the earliest recorded strike, a group of tailors gathered to protest a reduction of wages.
To add on, Llamas stated that during the Gilded Age in the late 19th century, the government was siding with big businesses which made life difficult for the workers.
Nevertheless, the Progressive Era allowed for the introduction of 8-hour workdays and 40-hour work weeks, which benefited the workers.
Llamas continued stating that unfortunately, it did not help the economy, as high wages and weak labor unions played a factor in the beginning of the Great Depression in the 1930s.
Minimum wage was also discussed, and Saldivar advocated for students to take a finance class that helps them learn more about real-life economics.
Regarding working a minimum wage job as a college student, Saldivar said, “You’re not supposed to live like that,” as students should grow and aspire better jobs afterwards.
The next Renegade Roundtable is scheduled for Nov. 15, but Williams also invited students to the Gadfly Café, a similar roundtable gathering also held at the Levan Center, on Oct. 4. He stated that the main goal of the discussion is to gather and talk “civilly and respectfully” about social and political issues.