In order to eradicate poverty and win civil and workplace rights, we must organize and build power in our communities. 2006 has been an historic year for building power in several ways. Latino and immigrant communities organized around the issue of immigration reform – we took peacefully to the streets to proclaim with pride that we contribute to the social, cultural and economic fabric of this country and to reclaim civil rights. And on November 7th, we built power with our vote, electing representatives who support our issues – it is estimated that 8 percent of voters were of Hispanic origin, the highest in history.
Now, workers are building power and using it to make history in Houston, Texas.
In October 2005, looking for an opportunity to escape poverty, more than 5,000 cleaning workers in Houston decided to form a union with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). These workers know there is no future earning $20 a day without health care benefits. The cleaners – the majority are immigrant women, mostly Latino and many are single mothers – are fighting for a wage of $8.50 per hour, more working hours and health insurance under a union contract.
The five cleaning companies – ABM, OneSource, GCA, Sanitors and Pritchard – responded to the efforts of the cleaners by refusing to negotiate and committing civil rights abuses. On October 23rd, the Houston workers went on strike in protest of these abuses. Labor and community groups, religious leaders and elected officials support the janitors in their fight.
But in addition, the Houston janitors have the support and solidarity of cleaners who work for these same companies in other cities across the country. Local 32BJ members in our area have honored picket lines on behalf of the strikers. From Hartford, CT to Washington, DC, members are telling office workers in the buildings they clean about the strike. Dozens of 32BJ members have traveled to Houston to support the campaign, and more members from New York and Philadelphia are headed there this week. From Massachusetts to California, workers who have good wages, health insurance and dignity at the workplace are willing to stand up for those who don’t.
Houston is one of the richest cities in the nation, the cradle of prosperous oil corporations. But these cleaners earn some of the lowest wages in our country.
The Houston janitors are asking these five major cleaning companies to respect their rights and negotiate a fair contract. We don’t know when the strike will end, since the cleaning companies still refuse to do this. But we do know that power is building in Houston, and the level of solidarity from workers around the country is unprecedented. It’s time to use our strength and power to make work pay for all workers. By organizing together, we can end the vicious cycle of poverty in our communities.
Héctor Figueroa is Secretary-Treasurer of Local 32BJ SEIU. With more than 85,000 members in six states and Washington, DC, Local 32BJ is the largest union of property services workers in the country.
