Houston—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.
In 2006, Houston janitors stood
up to win better jobs for Houston after they were forced to go on strike. At
the time, most janitors were paid just $20 a day with no benefits. They won a
collective bargaining agreement that gave them access to affordable healthcare
and more than doubled their income to $7.75 an hour with additional work hours.
But there is room for
improvement for the janitors who clean wealthy downtown, Galleria and Katy
office buildings. The well-to-do
building owners, who ultimately determine working conditions, are taking in
$23.26 in rental income per square foot in Houston—similar rates to other major
U.S. cities where janitors are paid significantly more. For example, in Chicago, where many of the
same owners and cleaning contractors do business, rental rates are almost
exactly the same at $23.44 per square foot. However, Houston janitors are paid about half
of what Chicago janitors are paid.
The janitors are also seeking
to expand access to the Houston Service Workers Clinic, which at a fraction of
the cost of the average employer sponsored health insurance plan, is a cost
effective way for employers to meet their healthcare obligation. At just $185 a
month for employers and $20 a month for employees with no co-pays or limits to
services, the clinic encourages janitors to visit their personal doctor. As a result, the clinic has been able to
deliver more care at a lower cost per member with fewer emergency room visits
than medical facilities associated with more traditional insurance.
Janitors enjoy widespread
national and local support as they prepare to negotiate a new agreement with cleaning
companies, including ABM, Pritchard, ISS/Sanitors, GCA, and Aztec. More than 70
community, elected, and religious leaders in Houston, as well as janitors from 30
U.S. cities, will stand with the workers as they bargain to create better jobs
that will strengthen the economy and ease the city’s healthcare crisis. The
agreement is set to expire in November.