Drywall Protest Becomes Standoff

A group of angry, chanting drywall workers stormed a Mission Viejo construction site Thursday morning and dragged off six workers, releasing them unharmed after a two-hour standoff with more than 50 sheriff’s deputies. The drywallers surrendered peacefully to authorities, who said they made 149 arrests. It is the latest incident in a 5-week-old walkout by drywallers that has touched construction sites from Ventura County to the Mexican border. The workers, who are not unionized, say their wages have dropped sharply during the current construction slump. They say they are paid only $300 for a 60-hour week, down from $500 a week several years ago. The mass arrest was the largest in Orange County in recent memory, authorities said. The Sheriff’s Department said it would charge all 149 men with conspiracy to kidnap, a felony charge.