Orange, Calif. – Janitors preparing to strike received full backing from the Orange County Labor Federation’s 80 affiliated labor unions today including the sanitation workers, operating engineers, building and construction trades, parking attendants, UPS delivery drivers, window cleaners and others. The executive committee of the labor council voted unanimously to grant strike sanctions to honor SEIU Local 1877 picket lines.

"The Irvine Company and other corporate real estate giants have a responsibility to ensure fair living standards for janitors who provide a valuable service at their properties," said Tefere Gebre, Executive Director of the Orange County Labor Federation. "O.C. unions strongly support the janitors’ strike and we will stand with them as long as it takes to win justice and fair treatment on the job."

“Janitors work hard to keep our facilities operating more smoothly. We’re giving the janitor our complete support,” said Blair Brem of the Operating Engineers Local 501.

IRRESPONSIBLE CLEANING CONTRACTORS
Irresponsible cleaning contractors have illegally tried to silence janitors who are standing up for justice, according to charges that the janitors’ union is preparing to file with the federal labor board against Able, ABM, One Source, DMS and others for intimidating, interrogating, harassing, threatening and retaliating against workers.

“Janitors are being treated like second class citizens,” said Donna Metcalf, of the Teamsters Local 952. “When janitors strike for their rights, sanitation workers are committed to stop all trash pick-ups in the buildings and not cross picket lines.”

“The cleaning companies and their corporate clients like The Irvine Company are creating a problem for everyone in Orange County. The janitors are standing up for what’s right and we’re proud to stand with them,” said Rick Eiden of the UFCW Local 324.

THE IRVINE COMPANY UNDER FIRE
The Irvine Company has come under fire from community and elected leaders for its failure to take responsibility to ensure the janitors who provide a critical service to their buildings are not living in poverty. Justice for Janitors launched TheIrvineCompanyWatch.com last week to highlight the gap between the company’s rhetoric and their actions. The company’s mission statement declares “The Irvine Company's corporate values are rooted in our awareness that what we do potentially impacts the lives of many people and will leave a legacy that will be visible for centuries to come.  Our challenge, then, is to make decisions that reflect community attitudes and desires, and that earn the respect of both current and future generations.”

“We’re calling on the Irvine Company to step forward and support janitors by assuring a vibrant future for their families,” said Zeke Hernendez, League of United Latin American Citizens, District 1 Director who spoke at the mid-morning press conference today.

OC: HIGHEST COST OF LIVING, LOWEST WAGES IN THE COUNTRY
Orange County is the country’s fourth most expensive places to live and yet janitors here are currently earning some of the lowest wages in the entire country among unionized janitors.

In Los Angeles, where commercial office rents are $31 a square foot, janitors are currently earning up to $12 an hour. Orange County’s rental rates are even higher at $31.50 yet janitors are currently paid only $8.65 an hour, which is less than half of what the Economic Policy Institute says it takes to meet basic needs for a family of four, or $54,000 annually.  A janitor would need to work 112 hours a week to support their family on the current wages.

By comparison, even in major U.S. markets where the rental rates are lower than those in O.C., janitors in other cities are earning much higher wages than those here. Chicago’s average rental rate per square foot is more than $5 lower than Orange County’s and yet janitors there are earning more than $5 per hour more than those in Orange County. Chicago’s rental rates are $26 per square foot and janitors earn $13.85.

Orange County janitors currently earn less than $350 a week, and would have to pay up to 89% of their wages on rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Orange County, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (fair market rates 2008).

COMMUNITIES PAYING THE PRICE FOR POVERTY CONDITIONS AMONG JANITORS
In April, California state legislators called on the state’s top corporations who benefit from the janitor’s work to take responsibility for good jobs for the sake of entire communities as they released a report, “The High Cost of Low Wage Service Jobs: How Communities Pay the Price for Poverty Conditions Among Janitors.”

ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS
More than 16,000 janitors across the state are now working under expired contracts. Negotiations are scheduled to resume on Monday, May 5 for Los Angeles and Orange County janitors.

For more information about SEIU Justice for Janitors California Contract Campaign 2008 and to download the report sponsored by the California State Legislative Latino Caucus, “The High Cost of Low Wage Service Jobs: How Communities Pay the Price for Poverty Conditions Among Janitors” visit: www.seiu-usww.org.