San Diego, Calif. – Today Southern California janitors united in Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Service Workers West joined more than 20,000 California Janitors in launching a statewide effort to win a new contract with higher wages, access to quality affordable health care and respect.
"We are coming together for our families and our future," said Grey Pichinte, a janitor for eight years. "Every day we work hard but barely earn enough to provide for our loved ones. The companies we work for enjoy opportunities for a better future, and as hard-working Californians we deserve that too."
What’s at Stake
Janitors who clean commercial office buildings, high-tech and bio-tech industry headquarters and offices throughout California earn wages so low that they struggle to make ends meet and secure decent, affordable housing for themselves and their families. Janitors often live in single rooms or mobile homes and some have even been forced to make their homes in garages. Everyday, janitors travel from their overcrowded homes in California’s low income neighborhoods to clean the offices of some of the wealthiest corporations in the world.
“When so many American’s enjoy the wealth created by California’s tech giants – why should the California janitors who work night and day to keep these business open be left out?” said California Assembly member Lori Saldana, who addressed the janitors in their bargaining convention on Saturday in San Diego.
Making Ends Meet on Poverty Wages
California janitors now earn an average of $19,000 year, well below the $50,832 it takes for a family to meet their basic needs without government assistance, according to the Economic Policy Institute. An average California janitor would need to work more than 100 hours each week to reach the self-sufficiency standard to provide for their family.
What’s Next
Janitors and their employers will begin bargaining in the coming weeks over one area-wide “master” contract for Northern California including Silicon Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, and one “master” contract for Southern California including Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.
Current contracts covering 20,000 California janitors expire April 2008.