Pulte Homes firehoses protesting workers in AZ
Dick Dugas, Pulte Homes CEOFLORENCE AZ -- Phoenix’s largest home builder firehosed picketers at a worksite recently in this Pinal County town. A video of it shows Pulte Homes representatives out of control -- frustrated at workers demonstrating at construction sites within their developments. Pulte Homes then assaults them with high-pressure water from Pulte water trucks.
As the housing market continues to sink in Florence and the rest of the metropolitan area, Michigan-based Pulte Homes dropped its good guy image when it came to the workers who build their homes.
Workers demanding justice from Pulte Homes’ construction subcontractors were shocked when the well-know homebuilder began directing its water truck drivers to repeatedly douse workers with high-pressure water.
Workers, with dripping clothes and soggy shoes, maintained their calm and continued their peaceful demonstration even as they counted up to 16 separate water assaults in one day.
Israel Hernandez, a painter who worked on hundreds of Pulte/Del Webb homes in the Phoenix area, paused while wiping water from the video camera lens, remarking, “This wasn’t what we meant when we ask for drinking water on the job site.”
Bill Pulte, Board ChairmanThe footage from the Florence attack shows the Pulte water truck beginning to spray water as it approaches workers and proceeds to soak them. Then, as soon as the truck passes, it goes into reverse to soak workers again with water, as they try to avoid the painful spray. Witnesses say Pulte staff and other construction supervisors stood by, laughing and pointing.
Workers plan to publicly release and discuss the video at 10am Friday at the State Senate in Phoenix.
- adpated from AZ AFL-CIO
Comments
It's just ridiculous what that truck did, and I am fearful that under the rubric of management-labor disagreement there lies a real nasty core of RACISM.
I would have thought that this kind of thing was long ago put to rest by one of Sally Fields' old movies.