Bread And Roses
Some good news for once, via Majikthise:
The Houston janitors win!
Round one of the historic Houston janitors’ strike goes to: the janitors who reached a tentative three-year agreement with the city’s five largest cleaning companies through non-violent civil disobedience:
What a difference a day makes! We have reached a tentative agreement for a 3 year contract for janitors.
Wages: $1.15 increase the first year, $1.00 the second year, and $.50 the third year.
Health Care: The third year is when single-payer health insurance will kick in and janitors will pay $20 per month into that plan. It is a plan designed and managed by SEIU and we are hoping to get all of our members nationwide on this plan.
Vacation: Two weeks paid vacation per year
Holidays: 6 paid holidays
Hours: 1st year everyone must work a minimum of 4 hours a day, 2nd year everyone must work a minimum of 5 hours per day, 3rd year everyone must work a minimum of 6 hours per day.
Protection: We have a grievance procedure in place. We have protection for all of the striking workers to get their jobs back with no discipline. We have a disciplinary proceedure in place so that no one can be illegally fired for no reason any more.
So, the two sides have come to a tentative agreement that includes a pay raise, a timetable for health insurance, a guaranteed number of hours of work every week, vacation, holidays, and protection from disciplinary action. The Houston Chronicle has more details. To recap, management refused to recognize the union, so the union took its appeal to the community at large. The justice of their cause was widely recognized and management was shamed into doing what it should have done all along–recognizing the right of workers to organize. Happily, management has recognized the janitors’ union and negotiated a mutually agreeable contract in good faith.
This is truly a big day for labor in America.
These are the same strikers that were deliberately trampled by mounted Houston cops , whose viciousness was captured on video for the whole world to see. Thanks to YouTube and progressive bloggers, the video of that brutality was around the world in a flash. I expect that contributed no small part to the pressure on the employers to back down.
Read more: US, Workers’ rights, Labour movement, Unions, Houston janitors strike
