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Arlington, VA –Marking the 17th annual Justice for Janitor’s Day, the Service Employees International Union 32BJ today kicked-off a campaign to secure fair wages, family health care, full-time work and better working conditions for more than 5,000 cleaning workers employed at Northern Virginia’s largest commercial office buildings.
“Living wages are good for workers and the community where they work and live,” said Jaime Contreras, 32BJ Capital Area Director. “Without quality and affordable health care, workers and their families are at a greater risk of getting sick.”
Northern Virginia cleaners work at more than 800 buildings in Rosslyn, Ballston, Crystal City, Old Town Alexandria, Tyson’s Corner and at other key commercial centers in Northern Virginia.
Arlington County Board Vice Chairman Walter Tejada was critical of American Painting & Janitorial Services, the largest commercial cleaning contractor in Crystal City, for paying part-time commercial office cleaners as low as $6.50 an hour with no benefits. In contrast, their counterparts in Washington, DC are members of 32BJ and earn wages from $9 to $10 per hour with employer-paid health care coverage, wage increases, sick leave and other benefits.
“Nobody can expect workers to support a family on $6.50 per hour,” said Tejada. “It’s unacceptable that hard-working men and women clean multi-million dollar buildings yet earn poverty-level wages that threaten them with poverty, hamper community development and undermine good business practice.”
The cleaners are organizing with 32BJ to push back the tide of dead-end jobs in the Latino community. Nearly all of these workers are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of health care and housing. They seek not only better wages and access to affordable health care, but also respect and a voice at work.
“Our co-workers in D.C. earn several more dollars an hour and receive health care and other benefits for the same work we do,” said Zulma Palacios, a janitor in Northern Virginia. “Our jobs should be able to support our families and provide us with quality health care.”
Justice for Janitors Day was established after janitors in Los Angeles were beaten by police during a peaceful demonstration against the cleaning contractor ISS, on June 15, 1990. The public outrage that was generated from this incident resulted in ISS agreeing to recognize L.A. janitors in a union. In remembrance of that day, SEIU janitors and supporters take action every June 15th in cities nationwide and in countries around the world. In the mid 1990s the Justice For Janitors drive organized thousands of cleaners in the Washington, DC area. The cleaners made history when they blocked the Roosevelt Bridge calling for living wages, employer-paid benefits and respect in the workplace.
Publicado el 06-15-2007
Por Ana Martorell
Arlington, Va- El comité de trabajadores del Servicio Internacional de Trabajadores del Sindicato 32bj, ha emprendido una intensa jornada en la que tiene previsto iniciar con una campaña para reclamar mejoras para los trabajadores empleados en el área del norte de Virginia.
A través de un comunicado oficial realizado por la 32bj, el gremio laboral manifiesta su intención de efectuar un efectivo reclamo a los empresarios de los más de cinco mil empleados de la limpieza. Estos trabajadores vienen laborando actualmente en la zona y uno de sus reclamos es la igualdad de las condiciones de trabajo similar a los de otros servidores de Washington, DC, quienes, según afirma el comunicado, cuentan con mejores condiciones laborales y disfrutan de más beneficios.
El principal motivo de la demanda es mejorar los salarios mínimos recibidos, los cuales no ascienden a más de $ 6.50 la hora, asegurar el cuidado médico familiar y tener la oportunidad de ascender a un trabajo de jornada completa. Dicho comunicado afirma que los trabajadores en los centros de Rosslyn, Ballston, Crystal City, Old Town Alexandria y Tyson’s Corner, no gozan de los mismos beneficios a nivel salarial y reciben menos atención que los también afiliados de la 32bj en Washington DC, ocupando las mismas posiciones laborales.
Con más de 85,000 afiliados, incluyendo 8,000 en el área de Washington DC-Maryland, la 32bj es la unión de trabajadores de servicio en propiedades más grande del país.
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