Janitors’ 2006 Strike Exhibit Incorporated into Houston’s “Day of the Dead Festival”

An exhibit commemorating the Houston janitors’ historic 2006 strike is being added to the city’s longest-running community-based Dia de los Muertos festival, where an expected 1,500 to 2,500 visitors will view the museum-style retrospective.

The janitors exhibit “¡Huelga!:  The Houston Janitors’ 2006 Strike for a Better Future”  was scheduled to close on Friday, October 30, but will instead be relocated to MECA’s campus (Multicultural Education and Counseling through the Arts) as part of the organization’s annual Dìa de los Muertos festival.

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Janitors Host Convention and March

With negotiations to improve more than 3,200 local jobs set to start at the end of the month, Houston janitors today are hosting a convention and march to call for an economy that works for all Houstonians.

“When some people have more money than they can possibly spend while others do not have enough to make ends meet, it holds Houston’s economy back,” says Houston janitor Ascención Blanco. “We need an economy that works for everybody.”

While Houston has weathered the economic downturn better than many other cities, those at the bottom have been disproportionately hurt. One in four Houstonians report having trouble buying groceries to feed their family. More than 1.3 million residents in the metropolitan area have no access to quality, affordable health care.

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Houston Janitors March for Free Speech

In response to a wealthy landlords’ association cracking down on low-wage Houston workers in recent weeks, approximately 150 Houston janitors are taking to downtown streets today to stand up for the fundamental American freedoms of speech and association.

“Working people need to be able to speak with each other if we’re going to build a stronger economy that works for everybody in Houston, not just the big shots,” says Mercedes Herrera, a Houston janitor who has been prevented from meeting with her counterparts in several downtown buildings.

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