Justice for Janitors - News from the Picket Lines

What a difference 10 years makes!

Ten years ago, janitors in the LA area were struggling to win a voice on the job and raise their families out of poverty. On June 15, 1990, janitors and supporters on strike in Century City, California were brutally beaten by Los Angeles police. The incident marked a turning point in the Justice for Janitors campaign, as the resulting public outcry led to a contract with significant pay raises and health insurance.

Starting Thursday and into the weekend, janitors around the country are marching and holding rallies commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Century City police riot, celebrating our numerous victories since that watershed event and kicking off the next phase of the Justice for Janitors 2000 campaign.

Justice for Janitors Day 2000 marks the launch of a coordinated effort by thousands of non-union building service workers, mostly in suburban areas, to gain a voice on the job and a higher standard of living. The campaign is starting in two of the wealthiest counties in the nation – Fairfield County in Connecticut and Orange County in California – where commercial janitors and their families struggle to survive on sub-poverty wages.

The bottom line? The Justice for Janitors campaign has proven that organizing WORKS—when we act as a single unit, we win, and we win big. We're beating the odds in city after city, winning record contracts, a voice on the job, and fairer wages for working families

Take a look at our most recent victories--

• San Diego—Janitors ratified a contract that provided a 90 cent wage increase over three years, a 13 percent increase, with health benefits provided in the third year. These gains are the biggest won by Janitors in the union’s history.
• Cleveland—750 janitors in Cleveland won pay increases up to 25 percent, and more than 600 of the workers who were part time won full-time jobs, increasing their pay by $7,000-$8,400 a year.
• Portland—Portland janitors won their first master agreement covering all of the city's contractors.
• San Jose—Janitors will receive an average annual wage increase of 8%. This increase is far above the national average wage increase of 3.4%. Moreover, under the new contract, health insurance premiums will be reduced by more than 50%, providing affordable health care to the janitors and their families. The average premium will be reduced from over $70 to roughly $30 a month. This was after prominent supporters from the business community, like 3Com CEO and President Eric Benhamou expressed his support for the janitors’ struggle.

But we must keep fighting. Ten years from now, we want and expect to be able to say that all janitors nationwide are receiving wages and benefits that adequately support their families, and have confidence that their voices are heard by management.

Our struggle continues. As the summer heats up, we expect the Justice for Janitors 2000 campaign to do the same. We’ll keep you posted as campaigns develop.

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