A sidewalk in front of a new West Portal Avenue bank branch was the site of a protest.
With Halloween-themed flyers and lots of banners and signs, laborers from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local Union No. 22 made themselves seen in front of Tri Counties Bank on Oct. 2.
The labor unions accused the Chico-based bank, which opened the full-service branch on Sept. 8, of allowing its building contractor, Modern Building, Inc., and subcontractors to pay below the prevailing wage.
“Building. Tomorrow. Together while hurting workers, hurting families and hurting our community,” the flyers read on one side. The other side urged the public to voice their concerns to Tri Counties Bank’s CEO Richard P. Smith and Modern Building Inc.’s CEO James C. Seegert.
A protester outside West Portal Avenue's new Tri Counties Bank branch. | Ingleside Light
One of the protesters said the workers were brought in from Fresno, which has a much lower cost of living than notoriously pricy San Francisco.
Scott Robertson, head of the bank’s community banking division, told The Light that he doesn’t believe the dispute directly involves Tri Counties Bank. Rather, the issue is between the bank’s contractor and the unions.
“The dispute is ongoing, and we sincerely hope it will be resolved quickly,” Robertson said. “With a 50-year history of serving communities throughout California, Tri Counties Bank is committed to the well-being of all our community members.”
Representatives from the unions and Modern Building Inc. did not respond to requests for interviews.
Anne Marie Kristoff (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University's journalism program. She enjoys writing about the arts, entertainment and nature.
