Houston Emerging as National Testing Ground in Efforts to Halt Spread of Poverty Wage Economy

[Omaha Steve]

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061109/dcth042.html?.v=76

Houston Emerging as National Testing Ground in Efforts to Halt Spread of Poverty Wage Economy
Thursday November 9, 12:45 pm ET
As Strike by Thousands of Houston janitors Continues to Spread ...
* Tonight, Houston Picket Lines Going Up Outside a Dozen Buildings in Chicago, L.A., and Manhattan
* Next Week, Union Janitors Headed to Houston to Engage in Acts of Non-Violent Civil Disobedience to Protest Poverty Jobs
* On Nov. 15, Protests Planned Outside Chevron Gas Stations in at Least 20 Cities in National Day of Action

HOUSTON, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- A three-week strike by thousands of poverty-wage Houston janitors continues to spread nationwide as increasingly militant actions in support of the Houston workers are planned for this week and next. With the janitors paid just $20 a day with no health insurance, the strike is turning Houston into a national testing ground in union workers' efforts to halt the spread of the poverty-wage economy.

"We cannot accept the low wages paid to workers in Houston. Twenty dollars a day is inhumane," said Alexandra Figus, a downtown Chicago janitor and member of SEIU Local 1 who works for ABM, one of the five firms in Houston whose workers are on strike. Alexandra is traveling to Houston to participate in actions next week. "If our companies think they can get away with low pay in Houston, they could try to cut our wages. I am willing to risk getting arrested in Houston because there is more risk for my family if I do nothing."

* Tonight, Houston picket lines will be set up outside a dozen major
office buildings in Manhattan, Los Angeles, and Chicago. In all,
hundreds of SEIU janitors in those cities are expected to honor the
picket lines of their striking Houston co-workers who work for the same
national cleaning companies. Details are available from SEIU local
unions in those cities.

* Next week, dozens of SEIU janitors and union leaders from around the
country will travel to Houston to call on national commercial landlords
there to put an end to the poverty conditions and poor treatment of
Houston workers. The delegations are planning to engage in non-violent
acts of civil disobedience next week in Houston and could face arrest
for their actions. Details about the actions will be announced next
week.

* Next Wednesday, November 15 is a nationwide Chevron Day of Action.
Workers and community supporters will hold actions outside Chevron or
Texaco gas stations in 20 cities -- one for every dollar that
Houston janitors who clean Chevron buildings are paid each day for
scrubbing floors and cleaning toilets. Despite $14 billion in profits
last year, Chevron is refusing to use its power to settle the strike and
direct the cleaning firms in its office buildings to provide janitors
with fair wages and health insurance. More info at
chevronwontyoujoinus.org


FULL story at link above.

[mainegreen]

1. Union Yes!

I fully support unions. They are the *best* protection for those who are often (wrongly I might add) seen as expendable in our society. My wife is a proud union member and they stood up for her when those in change wanted to cut wages across the board.

Unionize America Again!

[Vorta]

2. This is the second time I have seen this

Both times a claim of making "$20 a day". Are they talking about an 8 hour day?

[Omaha Steve]

3. At the link near the end of the story

It says this "But, while janitors in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and other cities make more than $10 an hour, have health insurance and full-time work, Houston workers are paid an average of $20 a day, with no health insurance for part-time work.". So I think it means part time and no benefits.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. Employers frequently maintain staffs of all "part-time" workers, so that

they're not obligated to provide benefits.

I once worked holiday sales for a major retailer that adjusted our schedules so that we didn't even qualify for breaks or didn't qualify for the next level up of breaks. (For example, we were supposed to get 1/2 hour if we worked between 6 and 8 hours, so they would schedule us for 5 hours and 55 minutes, and we would qualify only for a 15-minute break.)

[Vorta]

6. SO what happens if they win?

If the janitorial department currently uses 100 half-time amployees, and they come to be required by the union contract to offer a full time schedule, so they go to 50 full time janitors, then 50 part time janitors are out of work. No?

I'm totally pro union, I'm just wondering how they wilol decided who gets the full time work.

[skids]

5. Stop, hey, what's that sound?

...it's the rumbling gush of tens of thousands of overflowing toilets.

You don't wanna piss off the Janitors. :bounce: