OAKLAND – Janitors will lead a march from the impoverished neighborhoods of East Palo Alto to the gates of the prestigious Stanford University tomorrow to call attention to the area’s dramatic income gap. The march to “Close the Gap” comes as janitors who currently are paid an average of only $347 a week—just $23,000 annually—are continuing to walk off the job throughout the Bay Area.

Despite servicing some of the most profitable industries and office properties in the state— including Oracle, Cisco Systems, Bishop Ranch, HP, Yahoo, and City Center—Silicon Valley/Bay Area janitors earn less than half of what it takes to survive in California and must wait as long as 2 ½ years to receive health care. Area janitors are paid far less than janitors doing the same work earn in San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS THIS WEEK – Please check for revised times and locations
Thursday, May 22 12:00PM MARCH TO ‘CLOSE THE GAP’
Route to begin in East Palo Alto (Bell St. and University Ave.) and culminate at Stanford University (El Camino Rd. and University Ave.)

Friday, May 23 12:00PM Janitors to Begin Roving Picket Lines
Striking janitors from throughout the Bay Area will meet and launch their picket lines from Cisco (3850 Zanker Rd. near E. Tasman Dr.)

Contract talks for more than 6,000 janitors ended last Thursday with the Bay Area’s largest cleaning companies refusing after months of negotiations to propose even modest pay and benefit improvements to janitors. In addition, the cleaning companies are facing an investigation by the federal labor board over charges they illegally attempted to silence and intimidated janitors who have been speaking out for justice.

For more information about SEIU Local 1877 Justice for Janitors visit: http://www.seiu-usww.org.