Office cleaner and 32BJ union member, Treena Walker who works at the National Archives not far from the nation’s Capitol, shared her daily struggle to provide for her family at the July 26th unveiling of the Americans United for Change “Bush Legacy Bus,” a traveling museum chronicling the conservative policy missteps of the Bush Administration.

“It breaks my heart to send my 14-year old daughter to work instead of summer camp,” said Walker, an office cleaner and single mother of three from Bladensburg, MD.  “But I can’t even afford the healthier food I want to feed my kids.” Walker and her children have been staying with a relative for the last six months because she’s been unable to afford rent on her own.

The Bus will be traveling across the country to educate Americans about the long-term impact of conservative Republican policies on health care, economy, record-high gas and the ongoing war in Iraq.

“Working men and women everywhere can identify with Treena’s hardships,” said Jaime Contreras, 32BJ Capitol Area Director.  “Thousands of hard working cleaners and other service workers are counting on our government and businesses to do a better job working together to alleviate pressure on the working poor.” 

More than 500,000 men and women work as office cleaners throughout the country.  They are an invisible workforce that often works at night in multi-million dollar buildings, but struggle to make ends meet.  The plight of non-union cleaners is even tougher because they may make as little as $5.85 per hour with few, if any benefits.  Union cleaners, often represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), typically earn 50% more per hour, if not more, and often receive employer-paid health care coverage.

To find out more about the Bush Legacy Bus Tour click here.