MEDIA ADVISORY FOR:
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
CONTACT:
Lynda Tran
202-907-1172
Morning after hundreds of janitors kick-off strike in downtown Houston…
Striking Janitors to Address City Leaders, Begin Roving Picket Lines
Workers to continue to walk off the job, take call for good jobs with health care to the community
Houston -– Striking janitors will address City Council members in session downtown today one day after hundreds of local janitors kicked off the first wave of a historic strike in downtown Houston in protest of their treatment on the job and the failure to bargain in good faith by the city’s five largest cleaning companies. At 5:00 PM this evening, janitors will begin roving picket lines and take their call for good jobs with health care into the community. At 6:00 PM strikers will converge at 1100 Louisiana for a strike rally and to greet new strikers.
Contract talks for more than 5,300 janitors ended last Tuesday with Houston’s five largest cleaning companies refusing after months of negotiations to propose even modest pay and benefit improvements to janitors currently making only $20 a day. In addition, the cleaning companies are facing an investigation by the federal labor board over charges they illegally fired and intimidated janitors who have been involved in their union.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS THIS WEEK – Please check for revised times and locations
Tuesday, October 24
9:30AM Janitors Address City Council Session
Outside Houston City Hall, Bagby Street side
Availability with workers on Bagby Street stairs
6:00PM Roving Picket Lines with Striking Janitors
Picket lines starting outside 1100 Louisiana, Downtown Houston
Wednesday, October 25
5:00PM City’s Leaders to Join Janitors’ Picket Lines
Outside 1100 Louisiana, Downtown Houston
Houston elected leaders, Andrew Stern, SEIU International Executive President, janitors
SATURDAY, October 28
2:00PM MARCH FOR JUSTICE
Grady Park, Galleria
Houston elected, faith, and community leaders, janitors, families, other supporters
More than 5,300 janitors who clean the majority of Houston’s office space have the lowest wages and benefits of any major city in the United States—earning an average of $5.30/hour with no health or other benefits for almost exclusively part-time work. Since forming a union with SEIU last year, they have been seeking a raise to $8.50/hour, more hours, and health insurance in contract talks with the city’s five largest cleaning companies, ABM, OneSource, GCA, Sanitors, and Pritchard.