MEDIA ADVISORY FOR:
Monday, October 30, 2006
CONTACT:
Lynda Tran
202-907-1172
As Janitors’ Strike Enters Second Week
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church to Host Special Mass for Hundreds of Striking Janitors
HOUSTON –- Janitors entering the second week of a very public strike will march to Our Lady of Guadalupe church to attend a special mass in support of the striking janitors.
More than 1,700 janitors are on strike in key buildings in Galleria, Greenway Plaza, and downtown Houston. 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.
In the past week, religious, political and community leaders have intensified the call to Houston’s building owners to intervene in the growing strike and instruct the contractors they hire to provide janitors with decent wages and health insurance.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS THIS WEEK
Monday, October 30 - TODAY
7:00PM
WHAT: Mass for janitors entering second week of historic strike
WHERE: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 2405 Navigation Blvd. Houston, TX
VISUAL: Hundreds of janitors will march to the church and be met by Father Gray, before entering the church for mass.
Tuesday, October 31
12:00PM
WHAT: Conference Call about national escalation of Houston janitors’ strike
WHO: SEIU janitors from Houston, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles
Note: Some of the presentations will be in Spanish, translation provided.
TO JOIN: Dial Toll-Free: 1-866-793-1299
Ask for the “Janitors Supporting Janitors” Call
Janitors will take questions from the media following the announcement
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.