New England 4 All

Organizing Positions Available at SEIU 615!

2007-10-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Organizers Needed

Join this progressive, 16,000-member multi-cultural local as we build on our series of recent victories:

A ground-breaking Master Agreement covering 12,000 commercial janitors in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and southern New Hampshire
The first SEIU Security Officer contract in New England
Historic union recognition agreements for three states

SEIU Local 615 seeks talented and motivated organizers, lead organizers and directors to carry this important work forward. Join our two amazing organizing campaigns: 3,000 Security Officers; and up to 5,000 commercial, residential and airport workers across Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. We also continue important base-building work among our 16,000 current members. Come work for justice for thousands of low-wage and immigrant workers in commercial, residential, higher education and public properties across the region.

To apply: send resume to Jeb Mays, SEIU Local 615, 26 West Street, Boston, MA 02111 or by email to jmays@seiu615.org. Bilingual Spanish, Portuguese or French Creole a plus.

Contract Ratified!

2007-09-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

Boston, Mass. (September 8, 2007) – Officials from Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 615 have announced that their members have ratified a new contract between janitors and the Maintenance Contractors of New England for a new contract that will transform the lives of thousands of New England families. The contract will affect nearly 12,000 janitors who are working in buildings throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

“This contract, which is our strongest ever, will dramatically improves the lives of close to 12,000 workers,” said Rocio Saenz, president of SEIU Local 615. “It will help move hardworking men and women out of poverty and into the middle class. Additionally, it will help create a system whereby workers are sharing in the gains that the real estate industry in New England has made in the past several years. It is an important step in creating a New England that works for everyone.”

Key provisions over the 5 year contract include

A 23% wage increase in Boston and 25% in the suburbs of Massachusetts and Providence, to a top wage of over $16 an hour in Boston;
20 % of the entire Massachusetts and Rhode Island market will move from part-time to full-time work and be provided fully paid family health insurance;
All other full-time workers in all locations will received fully paid individual health insurance;
An increase of minimum hours so that thousands of part-time janitors have an additional 7 ½ hours of work each week;
Janitors will have 6 sick days at the end of this agreement;
SEIU Local 615 won a recognition process for janitors in New Hampshire and for outside Providence Rhode Island;
Employers will pay into a training and education fund for English classes, computer classes and other skills training.

The economic impact on communities will be significant with an estimated direct annual increase of over $25 million a year into the communities in increase which janitors live and over $60 million annual impact including its broader economic benefits.

“For all the women and men who clean bathrooms and pick up trash, we now have our dignity,” said Margarita Restrepo, a member of the bargaining committee. “This contract shows that the work that we do should be respected. The agreement is an important step in achieving a New England that works for everyone.”

Transforming the Lives of Thousands of New England Families

2007-09-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

Officials from Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 615 have announced a tentative agreement between janitors and the Maintenance Contractors of New England for a new contract that will transform the lives of thousands of New England families. The contract will affect 10,000 janitors who are working in buildings throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

Key provisions over the 5 year contract include a 23% wage increase in Boston and 25% in the suburbs of Massachusetts and Providence, to a top wage of over $16 an hour in Boston; 20 % of entire Massachusetts and Rhode Island market will move from part-time to full-time work and provide fully paid family health insurance; all other full-time workers in all locations will received fully paid individual health insurance; and an increase of minimum hours so that thousands of part-time janitors have an additional 7 ½ hours of work each week. The economic impact on communities will be significant with an estimated direct annual increase of over $25 million a year to the communities in which janitors live and over $60 million annual impact including its broader economic benefits.

While the agreement is tentative pending ratification of the Union’s members, the bargaining committee believes it accomplished the goals that members outlined, including increasing opportunities for full time work, access to more hours, access to family health insurance and decent wage increases.

“For all the women and men who clean bathrooms and pick up trash, we now have our dignity,” said Margarita Restrepo, a member of the bargaining committee. “This contract shows that the work that we do should be respected. The agreement is an important step in achieving a New England that works for everyone.”

A Tentative Agreement has been Reached!!!

2007-08-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

A tentative agreement has been reached in bargaining. We will have more details once the members of SEIU 615 get a chance to decide whether to ratify the agreement. So the pilgrimage march in Lawrence on Monday has been canceled. Again, stay tuned for more details. We will have more information available as soon as we can.

Strike Preparation and Training Action -- August 30

2007-08-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

August 30 marks the final day before the expiration of the janitors' current contract. Join us in a preparation and training for janitors who may be forced to go on strike.

Join us at any of these locations:
(Click on location names for a map to the meeting point)

4:00 pm: Downtown Crossing
4:00 pm State Street T Stop
4:30 pm Burlington -- 75 Middlesex Road
5 pm -- Andover 100-200 Brickstone Square
4:30 pm -- Quincy -- 100 Newport Avenue

We'll see you in the streets!

Donate to the Strike Fund!

2007-08-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Every day, janitors keep the Boston economy alive by taking out our trash and scrubbing our bathrooms. Now they are asking for your help.

In 2002, janitors were forced to strike to begin to improve their lives. If necessary, they are ready to do what they must to build a better life for their families.

You can support the janitors with a financial contribution to the Strike Fund.

Checks can be mailed to:
SEIU LOCAL 615
26 West Street
Boston, MA 02111

All checks should be made out to SEIU Local 615 Strike Fund.

90 years ago, these women fought for justice

2007-08-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Today's janitors still want the same thing.

On Wednesday, August 22nd, janitors in downtown Boston delivered Bread and Roses to building owners.

In 1912, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, workers demanded both higher wages and a decent life for themselves and their families. Their cry of “Bread and Roses” was for more than a subsistence life and set the stage for improvements in the lives of American workers here and across the country.

Today, janitors are struggling to make ends meet without the “Bread and Roses” they need, while the New England real estate industry boasts record profits and $10 billion in sales in Boston alone.

Why Full-Time? By Luis Santana

2007-08-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

Why Full-Time?
By Luis Santana

Because I don't have a good salary;
Because I cannot protect my family's health;
Because I don't have any space to rest;
Because I cannot perform the continuous job of being a father and a husband.

Because I cannot see an educational
future for my children;
Because dreams cannot come true
with low wages.

So, why more full-time?
Why do you, being so unfair,
Not choose to be fair to those
who have justice on our side?

Porque a Tiempo Completo?
De Luis Santana

Porque no tengo buen salario;
Porque no tengo completa la salud familiar;
Porque no tengo el espacio para el descanso;
Porque no tengo la labor continúa
de ser padre y esposo.

Porque no veo en mí,
el futuro educativo de mis hijos.

Porque los sueños no se pueden realizar
con poco salario.

¿Que por qué más a tiempo completo?
¿Porqué tú, señor injusto, no te propones
ser justo para los justos?

Yesterday We Buried a Child (Margarita's Story)

2007-08-28T08:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday We Buried a Child
Margarita Restrepo's Story
(as told to Jeb Mays)

Yesterday we buried a child.
He was just 14 –
But he seemed much older somehow.

Yesterday we buried my friend's boy.
He was always such a good boy
Watching his younger brother, taking
Care of his baby sister –
He called them "my kids."

Yesterday we buried my friend's son.
Who knows why he decided
To take his own life?

Was it because his mom worked
From 5 am to 10 pm and
Was never home to listen to his
Stories and complaints and
Because it got too hard to be a
Parent to the other kids when he
Needed a parent for himself?

Yesterday we buried a child – my friend's son
Her boy, the light of her life.

New England Janitors Authorize the Use of a Strike if Necessary

2007-08-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

Janitors march on Newbury Street

By Brian R. Ballou, Boston Globe Staff August 26, 2007

"Moments after authorizing a strike yesterday afternoon, about 400 janitorial workers wearing purple union shirts marched through Boston's Newbury Street shopping district, passing posh clothing boutiques, art galleries, and tourists with cameras and shopping bags under their arms.

'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."

Click here to read the full article on boston.com.

Update on Community Delegations

2007-08-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Community leaders and activists have gone on delegations to property owners in our region. On a few occasions community leaders were able to secure a meeting with a representative from the firms in question and on each occasion the people with whom they spoke with expressed concern and a willingness to speak to the cleaning companies that they employ.

One of these delegations was lead by Boston City Councilor Sam Yoon. It is important the property owners recognize that the people who clean their buildings are not just janitors but they are mothers, fathers, neighbors, and friends. They are members and leaders in our communities. Thank you to those who have already participated in delegations and contact us if you are interested in putting together a delegation we can help get you started.

New England Janitors Authorize the use of a strike if neccessary

2007-08-27T07:35:00.001-07:00

Click here to read the article in the Boston Globe.

Boston Globe's Adrian Walker calls it "A Fight for One Good Job"

2007-08-24T06:04:00.000-07:00

"Candida Gomes has three children, and she wishes she spent more time with them.

She gets up at 5:30 to get them off to school. Then she heads for her first job, cleaning the Wrentham State School.

She gets back to her house in Pawtucket around 5 and puts on dinner before she reports to her second job, cleaning an office building in downtown Providence.

By the time she gets back home, her children -- ages 18, 11, and 5 -- are supposed to be asleep,
and usually they are.

Gomes came to the United States from Cape Verde 10 years ago, in search, she says, of a better life."

Click here to read the rest of Adrian Walker's article on boston.com.

Religious Leaders Speak Out

2007-08-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday August 22nd religious leaders from the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish traditions came together to express their support for the struggle of janitors to win a better life for themselves and their families. Economic justice and workers’ rights is a moral issue. Rev. Gregory G. Groover, Sr. pastor of Charles St. A.M.E. Church made a personal connection when he spoke about his father who was a janitor for 40 years. He also talked about how pained he was to hear about janitors presently struggling to make ends meet. Rabbi Jonah Pesner after hearing the testimony of a 615 member, who leaves here house at 6am in the morning while her children are sleeping and returns home at 10:30p after they have gone to bed stated, “may G-d have mercy on us, may G-d have mercy on our community.”

Strike Vote Action this Saturday at 1:00! Final Community Briefing and Civil Disobedience Training on Tuesday the 28th!

2007-08-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

We have many actions coming up in the next few weeks. These are THE two events in the next few days that Community turnout and participation are key to make successful. If there are only two events you can make it to, have it be these two. Also, sign the Principles for a Responsible Real Estate Industry as another way to show your support. Here are the 3 action items:

1. This Saturday at the Arlington Street church in downtown Boston, the members of SEIU 615 will decide whether to authorize a strike if needed at the end of the current contract. Immediately after this historic vote 615 will do what we do best, take to the streets! Please join us as we march through downtown and the Back Bay to show the cleaning companies our strength and community support. Gather at the church at 1:00.

Contact Ana or Jeremy for more information:
Ana Horton, Community Organizer SEIU 615
ahorton@seiu615.org or 617-878-7483

Jeremy Shenk, Community Organizer SEIU 615
jshenk@seiu615.org or 617-878-7520

2. Then on Tuesday August 28^th there will be the final community briefing to get updated on the negotiations and on upcoming events and a training on Civil Disobedience.

Contact Ana or Jeremy for more information:
Ana Horton, Community Organizer SEIU 615
ahorton@seiu615.org or 617-878-7483

Jeremy Shenk, Community Organizer SEIU 615
jshenk@seiu615.org or 617-878-7520

3. And you can sign the Principles for a Responsible Real Estate Industry online here: http://seiuaction.org/campaign/petition_for_responsible_real_estate

Through the solidarity of community and labor a better Boston can be achieved. Lets continue that solidarity in the coming weeks as we struggle for the rights of low wage janitors to achieve a better life.

Video: Deydamia Soto

2007-08-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of Janitors and their supporters march through a major office tower protesting employer wage offer

2007-08-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

In response to the terrible offer received on Wednesday Janitors again took to the streets. The offer was a measly 10 cent raise in the suburbs and 15 cent raise in Boston!

What could you buy with 15 cents?

In 2002 janitors were forced to go on strike. They want to do it differently this year but to do that they need community support. The janitors are ready to do what it takes but they need you to stand with them. The contract expires on August 31st and your help is crucial. Here are a couple of things you can do to support economic justice for janitors:

Call the Maintenance Contractors of New England at 973-771-1771 and tell them that janitors need better wages, more hours, and family health insurance.

Or join one of the community delegations to visit building owners to urge them to tell the cleaning companies to do the right thing. To join call Jeremy at 617-878-7520 or email jshenk@seiu615.org.

Check back regularly and send an email to get on the email alert list for updates on all the actions coming up as the push to gain a fair contract for hardworking janitors heats up.

Janitors: Big Landlord Agrees on Contract Goals

2007-08-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

By Chris Reidy, Boston Globe -- August 15, 2007

"SEIU Local 615 said today that Blackstone Group LP, owner of many area office properties, has agreed to the union's goals of supporting full-time work and family health insurance for janitors who clean and maintain its properties.

"Earlier this year, Blackstone won a bidding war to buy Equity Office Properties Trust, which at the time was largest owner and manager of office space in Boston.

"Today SEIU Local 615 president Rocio Saenz said in a statement, 'Blackstone has taken an important first step in supporting Boston and New England's working
families.'"

Click here to read the full Boston Globe article on boston.com.

Community support needed as contract expiration approaches

2007-08-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

Community support has never been as important to the struggle of janitors in the region as it is now. Your support is essential in the struggle to gain the better hours, wages, and benefits janitors need. Please join us on our marches, participate in one of the delegations visiting building owners, or by signing the Principles for a Responsible Real Estate Industry document. Here is our current list of upcoming events which we will be updating regularly as more are added to the list.
For more information on these or any other new events contact:
Ana Horton at 617-878-7438 or ahorton@seiu615.org
or Jeremy Shenk at 617-878-7520 or jshenk@seiu615.org

Thursday August 16th at 4:00 pm
At Macy's downtown Boston

Rally and March in response to Cleaning Contractors' economic counter proposal

Tuesday August 21st all day
Community Delegations to visit building owners. If you are interested in either organizing or joining a delegation contact us. Dates and times are flexible

Wednesday August 22nd noon
Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 138 Tremont St (across from Park St T station), downtown Boston
"Religious Leaders Speak Out" press conference.

Saturday August 25th 1:00
At Arlington St Church, corner of Arlington and Boyleston, downtown
Strike vote action

Tuesday August 28th noon
"Labor Leaders Speak Out" press conference
Offices of SEIU 615, 26 West St, downtown Boston

Tuesday August 28 6:00
Seiu 615 offices, 26 West St, downtown
Final Community Briefing with updates on bargaining and upcoming actions and training on Civil Disobedience.

Tuesday August 28 time TBA
at SEIU 615 offices, 26 West St, downtown
Final Community Briefing on Contract negotiations and campaign plans

August 28-31 4:00 locations TBA
Daily actions during last week of contract negotiations every day at 4:00 with a major action on the last day of the contract August 31st.

Sweeping through Downtown on August 11

2007-08-13T05:58:00.000-07:00

Local 615 members and community supporters swept, danced, and chanted their way through Downtown Crossing by the hundreds on Saturday.

Slideshow: Stand

2007-08-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Scene from downtown Boston on August 2

2007-08-05T17:04:00.001-07:00

SEIU Local 615 members joined with community allies to take their message to the streets on August 2. More pictures from marches all across the region coming soon!

"Office janitors take to streets as union contract nears expiration"

2007-08-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

By Greg Turner, Metro West Daily News -- August 2, 2007

"Workers who clean hundreds of office buildings across Boston and MetroWest have less than a month to fight for higher wages, health benefits and full-time jobs, before their union's contract with management expires.

Before the current contract was approved in 2002, janitors went on strike for three weeks, disrupting cleaning schedules at hundreds of office buildings across the region.

Janitors have held two marches in as many months to raise awareness of their situation; a third demonstration is set for today at eight locations around Greater Boston, including Marlborough, Westborough and Waltham.

'Janitors are a critical piece of the (commercial) real estate industry,' said Lauren Jacobs, director of the 'Justice for Janitors' campaign at Boston-based SEIU Local 615. 'They go in (to offices) when people have gone home for the evening, take out their trash, clean out their kitchens and bathrooms,' Jacob said. 'Most tenants don't see all those services being done for them. This provides visibility to the janitorial work force.'

Click here to read the full article on metrowestdailynews.com

March for a Responsible Real Estate Industry: Thursday, August 2nd

2007-07-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

March with hundreds of janitors, community members, immigrant leaders, church members, politicians, and others to demand that, at a time of the highest rents on record, janitors receive a decent wage.

From Providence RI to Manchester NH, from Boston to Springfield and many places in between, we will be marching to make our call for justice heard.

Sign the “Call for a Responsible Real Estate Industry” and walk with us.

Here is the updated list of rally locations all around the area. See you at the action nearest you!

Rally Locations

Click on the address links for maps of the rally locations

Boston: Meet at Downtown Crossing on Summer St 4:15
Billerica: 129 Concord Rd., 5-6pm
Cambridge: Meet at the Kendall Square T 4:45
Burlington: corner of Burlington Mall Rd and S. Bedford St., 5-6pm
Marlborough: 33 Boston Post Rd., 5-6pm
Springfield: City Hall, 11:30 am-12:30pm
Westborough: 4400 Computer Dr., 4-6pm
Waltham: Exit 27 on I-95 (Totten Pond Rd), Ave. 4:30-6pm

For more information:

Ana Horton 617-878-7483 ahorton@seiu615.org

Jeremy Shenk 617-878-7529 jshenk@seiu615.org

It's only fair: Ricardo Monroy

2007-07-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

My name is Ricardo Monroy. I came to the U.S. in 2000, and it was really hard at first. In 2001 I started working as a janitor, first at the Hynes Convention Center from 2001 to 2003. Then I moved to the airport, where I’m still working for Hurley of America. Two years ago I started working with UNICCO in the John Hancock building from 6 to 11 at night.

Life here in the United States is pretty complicated. We have to work two jobs, because the cost of living is so high. When I left my country, I imagined that I could get ahead economically and give my family a better life. But, sadly, I haven’t been able to achieve my goals despite working two jobs, because life costs so much: rent, bills, car insurance. Everything has been so complicated, but I’m still here, working hard, and I have faith that during this year’s negotiations, we can win the wage improvements we deserve, that will let us get ahead and improve our lives.

I dream of giving my children the opportunity I never had. I want them to study. I have two kids. The younger one is named Nestor, and he always says he wants to learn architecture. But if the economic situation doesn’t improve, it will be tough to achieve that. It’s a hard dream to realize. I trust in God that our fight will bring good results, so we can improve our lives and win the dreams we’ve always had.

I work 37.5 hours at the airport and 25 hours at John Hancock. It’s a lot of time. It’s a problem because I can’t spend the time with my family that they need. My kids are left alone; we have to pay someone to watch them because my wife also works. This has caused problems now that they are at an age where they want to play. They want someone to take them to the park, but unfortunately we don’t have the time to give them what they wanted. Our day off, we have to catch up on things at home, do the laundry, pay the bills and everything. That’s what we do on our day off.

I have only a few hours to spend time with my kids, to take them out, and I ask them to understand. It’s really tough because when they are young, they don’t see me as a worker. They want to see their dad, who can take them out. They don’t want a worker who cleans buildings, earning our daily bread. Sadly, one salary isn’t enough to cover our needs. This is why we need to fight hard. I believe that someday we will see good changes, if through this fight, we can win enough for all the workers.

This really affects the entire immigrant community. My case is not the exception. All the immigrants and all the janitors face the same situation. We all end up leaving our kids home alone, or paying someone to watch them while we’re at work. And the worst result is that when the kids become teens, they may be steered wrong, since there are all kinds of dangers in our neighborhood: drugs, alcohol, gangs. We run the risk in many places of losing our children. So this is not just my issue. All the janitors, all those who come to this country, run the same risk.

I want to call on the companies, those representing the companies at the bargaining table, to examine their conscience, and realize that what we ask for is fair, and we ask because we need to improve our communities’ economic situation. We work hard; we understand that they make good money off their contracts. So I think it’s only fair that they share those profits with their employees.

Marching for a New England that Works for All!

2007-07-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, July 12th, workers and community members brought our voices to the streets again to call attention to low wages and lack of health insurance and sick days. Parents are tired of the many part-time jobs they must work and long days without seeing their children. Workers with many years of experience want job security and opportunities for full-time work.

New England is one of the most expensive areas of the country to live. In the first contract bargaining for regional janitors since the 2002 strike, workers are looking to close the gap between the region's wealthiest and poorest individuals. But while the regional real estate industry made more than $4.2 billion dollars in total sales last year, the first reaction from employers at the bargaining table was to say no to proposed improvements in working conditions.

New England needs to work for all of us, not just a few.

Scenes from the streets on July 12 in Boston, Cambridge, Canton, Framingham, Marlborough, Wakefield, Waltham, New Hampshire, and Lincoln, Rhode Island:

Click here to see more pictures from July 12th events.

Stay tuned for more information on how to join us at the next event in your area!

Why We March: Workers' Stories

2007-07-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Zanoris Perez:
"I work in the Springfield School Department with a company called Educlean. I've been working there for almost a year. I'm a single mom to my two-year-old daughter. I only work four hours and with the wage that we're getting right now, it's not getting us through. I've put school off for a year to work, but looking at my situation right now, I'm not going to be able to go back to school next year.

School is my passion, I love it. I want to study pediatrics and nursing. But right now, I feel like I have to get a second job so we can at least get by. Getting a second job means I can't be in my daughter's life the way I want to. I'm not expecting to get rich, I just want to have one job, go to school, and take care of my family, so we can live ok. Not perfect, not poor, just ok. "

Selida Pol:

"I work for UNICCO at 99 High St, I work for Janitronics in Cambridge, and I work for Tufts University in Chinatown. I have 3 jobs, working 15 hours a day; I hardly get any sleep, just 4 or 4 1/2 hours. Most janitors are immigrants and we have families in our countries, and working one full-time job doesn't bring in enough to support ourselves here and send something to our families.

We are fighting in this new contract for better salaries, better treatment, more sick days because we only have two sick days and no one gets sick for just two days a year. We have to work hard to support the union, because getting this new contract is very important to winning respect for the workers and a better life."

Workers Speak from the Heart

2007-07-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

"Like many other immigrant parents, I am very frustrated and sad. I can't support my family on one job. I need to work day and night; my children and many others don't have the attention of their parents. They take to the streets and get into trouble."
-- Carlos Vargas

"I am a single mother of three children. Even with my two jobs, I can't keep up with paying for the necessities of life; I always have more bills."
-- Candida Gomes

"I work in Burlington and have applied for years to transfer to a full-time job in downtown Boston. We want notice of these jobs, and to bid them by seniority."
-- Ana Lucia Pareja

Welcome to A New England that Works for Everyone!

2007-07-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

A booming real estate industry needs to take responsibility

With more than $10 billion dollars in total sales last year, the Boston commercial real estate market is hot! The Hancock Tower sold twice in two weeks, each time at a higher price! Average asking rents have shot up astronomically in the past 3 years. Explosive increases in downtown Boston have pushed rents to from $47 per square foot 6 months ago to $64 per square foot today, up 100% since 2003.

“It’s a landlord’s market,” said Ronald K. Perry, executive vice president at Meredith & Grew quoted in Banker and Tradesman. “Building sales have been occurring at a record clip, putting upward pressure on rents.”

In Boston and New England, we are now part of the national and global economy. Just as once locally-owned Gillette is now owned by Proctor & Gamble and Bank of Boston/Fleet is now owned by North Carolina-based Bank of America, the real estate and property services industry is no longer owned and controlled locally. Our real estate owners are from Chicago, New York, or LA. Unicco the largest local cleaning contractor, based in Newton with almost 4000 employees in New England, has just been sold to an Australian firm for almost half billion dollars. Money is being made and flowing out of our region. Our campaign calls on the real estate industry to invest in the communities where it operates.

While janitors and security officers may seem invisible, imagine how the daily operations of most businesses would stop if they weren’t there to clean, maintain, and protect New England’s buildings. The work these men and women provide is valuable. They should be given respect not only in how they are treated, but in how they are compensated.

Time to close the growing divide

A new study from the Carsey Institute at University of New Hampshire shows that “New England has the highest increase in income disparity in the country”. The workers who clean, scrub, maintain, and secure our office, university, mall and industrial buildings are facing a rapid decline in wages, benefits and overall quality of life.

In the first regional contract bargaining since the 2002 janitor strike, janitors are in a struggle for decent wages, more hours of work and health insurance. They need sick days, job security, and dignity and respect at work. Good jobs and opportunities for janitors in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire will make New England and our neighborhoods stronger.

One obstacle janitors face is the overwhelming number of part-time jobs and the few openings for full-time work. The great majority of janitors are only offered part-time work—usually no more than 4 hours and in the suburbs just 3 ½ hours. At the current downtown Boston wage of $12.95, these workers are making just over $13,000 a year—just $1100 a month. Janitors in the suburbs and Providence do even worse, making between $9,300 and $10,500. Most janitors must piece together a living on 2 or 3 part-time jobs, and even so, are eligible for public assistance.

The real estate industry is booming, yet because few service workers in this industry receive health insurance coverage, many janitors and security officers must rely on the state to receive adequate health care for their families. Under the new law requiring that everyone have insurance, most janitors earn so little they will be eligible for public subsidy. Now, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is subsidizing the multi-billion dollar real estate industry by providing its workers with the bulk of their health coverage. With the new law, that subsidy will increase.

"Like many immigrant parents, I feel frustrated and full of sadness. I can’t support my family on one job. I need to work day and night. My children and many other young people don’t get the attention they need from their parents. So they are in the streets and can get into trouble."
–Carlos Vargas

Compare what janitors make to the Massachusetts Self-Sufficiency Standard in 2003 of $44,046 for one adult with one pre-school child and $54,612 for a two-parent family with two children.
For a full-time janitor, rent would take a whopping 62% of his or her gross income! A part-time janitor can’t even afford to rent a 2-bedroom apartment.

As Zanoris Perez says:

"Right now, I feel like I have to get a second job so we can at least get by. Getting a second job means I can't be in my daughter's life the way I want to. I’m not expecting to get rich, I just want to have one job, go to school, and take care of my family, so we can live ok. Not perfect, not poor, just ok."

Short part-time hours are not necessary. Boston is one of the few markets left that allows short part-time scheduling. Cities such as Houston, Denver, and Washington DC have all created more opportunities for workers to add more hours and move to 1 good, full-time job, instead of 3 part-time jobs.

“We all end up leaving our kids home alone, or paying someone to watch them while we’re at work. And the worst result is that when the kids become teens, they may be steered wrong, since there are all kinds of dangers in our neighborhood: drugs, alcohol, gangs. We run the risk in many places of losing our children.”
- Ricardo Monroy

Read Ricardo Monroy's whole statement.

It is the neighborhoods and communities in which janitors live that pay the price.

We call for a responsible real estate industry.