June 3, 2002—Secretary Treasurer Jaime Contreras of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and janitors who clean commercial office buildings held a press briefing this week to share plans to help raise 1,500 area families out of poverty. SEIU is the largest union of immigrant workers in the country.
Speakers discussed the next stage of the largest organizing drive of janitors in the county and how increasing the janitors’ salaries will impact the Latino community.
Montgomery County janitors are paid an average of $5.95 an hour in one of the most expensive counties in Maryland. They are the latest workers to join a nationwide movement called Justice for Janitors. They join janitors in Northern New Jersey, the suburbs of Philadelphia, and the suburbs of Boston who are uniting this year to win living wages, affordable health insurance, and more full-time hours.
Currently, SEIU represents more than 200,000 building service workers nationwide. For more information, contact SEIU.
