MEDIA ADVISORY FOR:
Monday, October 23, 2006

CONTACT:
Lynda Tran
202-907-1172

At a major downtown rally with workers and families…

Janitors to Walk Off the Job Over Cleaning Firms’ Civil Rights Abuses, Failure to Bargain in Good Faith

“We have no choice but to make our stand,” say janitors

Houston –- Local janitors are kicking off a historic strike in downtown Houston today in protest of their treatment on the job and the failure to bargain in good faith by the city’s five largest cleaning companies. Hundreds of janitors will hold a major rally at 5:30PM today, October 23 outside 1100 Louisiana downtown before marching through the city’s downtown business district to attend a “Boot Camp” to review skills and procedures to be implemented during their strike.

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

Monday, October 23
5:30PM
Rally to Kick-off Janitors’ Strike followed by March to “Boot Camp”
Outside 1100 Louisiana, Downtown Houston

Tuesday, October 24
9:00AM
Janitors Address City Council Session
Outside Houston City Hall, Bagby Street side
Availability with workers on Bagby Street stairs

5:30PM
Availability with Striking Janitors
Outside 1100 Louisiana, Downtown Houston

Wednesday, October 25
5:30PM
City’s Leaders to Join Janitors’ Picket Lines
Outside 1100 Louisiana, Downtown Houston
Houston elected leaders, Andrew Stern, SEIU International Executive President, janitors

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.