SEIU janitors (10,000 ) vote to strike if contract deadline not met

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Associated Press


SEIU janitors vote to strike if contract deadline not met
By Associated Press

BOSTON - A union representing about 10,000 local janitors has unanimously voted to strike if they can’t reach an agreement before their current contract expires Friday.

The janitors in SEIU Local 615 clean buildings around New England, including about 1,000 state buildings.

They’re asking for more full time work, a raise from current pay of about $10 an hour and better access to health care.

Read more: http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=1019112

[EFerrari]

1. Rate it up, DU.

Go, Local 615!

[Mnemosyne]

2. Needs a

:kick:nR

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. how many members nationally?

10,000 just in Boston...

This should go country-wide...

[Mabus]

5. According to this July 2005 press release 200K in 28 cities across America

I did a quick search and came across this July 2005 press release. It is in regard to janitors in Houston.

More than 200,000 janitors in more than 28 cities throughout the United States have united in SEIU and improved their lives as part of the national movement called “Justice for Janitors.” Houston janitors work for the same cleaning companies, and clean buildings owned by many of the same large, national real estate companies.


http://www.seiutexas.org/ourlocal/press.cfm?pressReleaseID=1787&bSuppressLayout=1

[Mabus]

4. K&R

Jobs with just benefits is all they want and what they deserve. I hope they get what they want but if they have to strike: all the power to them.

[cheddar99]

6. I don't know why

nobody is calling for a general strike all across the U.S.A. I guess the working people are happy just to have any old crappy job.

[Mabus]

7. I have limited knowlege about unions

I have never been a member of a union but I am a union supporter. With that said, from what I can tell strikes usually begin locally and with support from other local unions and community organizations. Once a strike has been called there seems to be a lag time in calling for a nationwide strike. I think this may be to see how negotiations go locally. If there is enough pressure locally the issue can be resolved. If it doesn't go well then unions will go national with it.

[Ravachol]

14. Well, based on the unions here...

If the issue is of national interest (i.e: most unions affected), after a local union has decided to go on strike, most other local unions of the same organization will follow through. That being said, they have to organize a vote among their members. Organizing the strike can also take a few weeks, or more if they ain't prepared to.

Hence the "lag" time. If it was prepared nationally, all local unions will have been informed in advance so the lag time will be short. If it's a spontaneous or reactive (something grave/important happened), it might take longer for other organizations to join in.

[Mabus]

15. That makes a lot of sense

Like I said, I don't have personal knowledge so I'm glad you were able to answer the question. Thanks for doing that.

[WillyT]

8. K & R !!!

:kick:

[EFerrari]

9. kick

[tomreedtoon]

10. Will Presidential candidates cross the picket line?

Oh, there's no question that the Republican candidates will. But I wonder if any of the Democratic candidates would dare, if the union is picketing a hotel or convention center where the candidate is expected to speak.

That might speak volumes about which candidate really supports workers and their rights.

[Fierce]

11. I know Edwards has skipped fundraisers

held at places that are being picketed, so he doesn't cross a line.

[MaineDem]

12. I seriously doubt if any of them would cross a picket line

The Dems I mean, of course.

[MaineDem]

13. A better source - from the Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/08/26/janitors_march_on_newbury_street/

"We're just asking the companies who employ our workers to share the prosperity," said Rocio Saenz, president of Service Employees International Union Local 615, which represents more than 16,000 janitors and security officers in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.

"Nobody wants to strike, but today we are sending a clear message that we are prepared to do so if we are not offered a living wage and full-time jobs with health benefits," she said, just after finishing the mile-long march along Newbury and several other downtown streets.

The union's current contract with the Building Maintenance Contractors Association, a group of about 30 maintenance companies, will expire Friday, and although negotiations have been underway since June, the two sides are apparently deadlocked over the union's demand that workers get full-time status and a "livable" wage.

In 2002, the union went on strike for a month before agreeing to a five-year contract, Saenz said. The vote yesterday gives the union's board the authority to call another strike if no agreement is reached on a new contract.