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Carpenters and local contractors raise structural and quality concerns about UCSC W. O'Neil student housing project
Summary
Union carpenters and local construction workers addressed the Regents about alleged structural defects and deviations from approved plans at the W. O'Neil student housing project at UC Santa Cruz, urging accountability and local hiring.
Carpenters and construction workers who toured the W. O'Neil student‑housing project at UC Santa Cruz told the Regents they observed structural issues and deviations from approved plans and urged the university to use responsible local contractors.
Darren Clark, a member of the NorCal Carpenters Union with decades of construction experience, said he found "structural issues and multiple deviations from the approved plans" on the UCSC project and expressed concern about the quality of work done by the listed subcontractors. Cesar Blacencia of Carpenters Local 646 urged the Regents to prioritize responsible local contractors that "hire locally and invest in the community" and said projects should be built to high standards.
Lloyd Reber, with 25 years of drywall and metal stud framing experience, walked the UCSC site and described an "apparent lack of attention to detail" and multiple defects across different buildings, saying the framing work was "terrible" in his assessment.
Speakers said they are circulating a petition on campus and asked the Regents to consider local hiring and quality assurance; the public comment did not record any immediate campus or Regents remediation actions in the morning session.
