MEDIA ADVISORY FOR:
Monday, November 20, 2006

Contact:
Lynda Tran
202-907-1172

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR MON. NOVEMBER 20 – TODAY:

Major Announcement from Striking Houston Janitors

Mayor Bill White to join janitors for press conference at Houston City Hall 4:00 PM today

HOUSTON—Janitors will be joined by Mayor Bill White for a major announcement today—two days after contract negotiations resumed between striking janitors and national cleaning companies ABM, OneSource, GCA, Sanitors, and Pritchard—at 4PM at Houston City Hall.

Schedule of Events for Monday, November 20 - TODAY
4:00PM Major Announcement from Striking Houston Janitors
Houston janitors, Mayor Bill White, SEIU Local 1 President Tom Balanoff
Mayor’s Proclamation Room, Third Floor - Houston City Hall

7:00PM Janitors’ Meeting on Results of Contract Talks
Houston janitors, community supporters
Georgia R. Brown Convention Center
First part of janitors’ meeting closed to members of the media.

7:45PM Janitors’ Contract Vote/Rally
Houston janitors, community supporters
Georgia R. Brown Convention Center

More than 1,700 janitors have been on strike four the last month in key buildings in Galleria, Greenway Plaza, and downtown Houston. Janitors who clean the majority of Houston’s office space have among 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, more than 5,300 janitors have been seeking a pay increase, more work hours, and health insurance in contract talks with the city’s five largest cleaning companies, ABM, OneSource, GCA, Sanitors, and Pritchard.