Veronica Cervantes

Veronica Cervantes has seen a lot of changes in Silicon Valley over the last ten years where she has lived and worked as a janitor. Veronica cleans Oracle, one of the world's largest software companies, for just $11.04 an hour.

"I can't afford to live in a house with just my family anymore so we share it with my brother and his family."

As Silicon Valley's cost of living increases, janitors who clean the region's multi-national corporations are paid poverty wages and double up in order to pay rent.  Veronica is standing with her co-workers and other Bay Area janitors to win better wages, especially for new janitors who are paid only $8.00 an hour.

"If we were paid more, it would give us more peace of mind and our families would live better. I would be able to buy my children shoes and clothes when they outgrow them."

Veronica works at night, which means she gets home just in time to help her three children get ready for school. She gets about five hours of sleep a day and often goes to work tired.

"It's hard, but I don't have a choice. I have to work at night and I just do what I can to feed my family."

By joining together in a union, Veronica and her co-workers have gained a stronger voice on the job. "The supervisors can be very aggressive and talk to us like we are animals. We deserve respect and when we show our strength, they back down."