Drywallers’ Claim Seeks $7.6 Million

Drywall workers said Friday they want $7.6 million in damages, alleging that their civil rights were violated by Orange County sheriff’s deputies who arrested more than 100 of them last summer during a demonstration at a construction site in Mission Viejo.

The striking workers were arrested in July after running onto a construction site and intimidating strikebreakers in the midst of a bitter walkout over unionization and wages.

The drywall workers say the Sheriff’s Department was used as a political instrument to try to break their strike. The Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law in Los Angeles said it will file a claim with Orange County supervisors Monday, the first step before filing a lawsuit. If the claim is rejected, the group can then file suit. The workers are demanding $75,000 each for pain and suffering and additional punitive damages.