The Rich Stay Rich & Well Protected: The Poor Stay Poor & Neglected

Would you work for one year without a contract if the economy wasn't in the crapper?

UC service workers, represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers, Local 3299, have been working without a contract for a year and have been fighting for a raise. The union held a five-day strike in July over the stalled contract negotiations.

"The UC executives get bonuses and raises while we're trying to move beyond poverty wages," said Kathryn Lybarger, a gardener at Cal who serves on the union's bargaining committee. She was one of those arrested, and then released, for allegedly trespassing.

Exploitation of the poor has a long history about the globe.