Around 4,700 janitors in Houston, who clean about 60% of downtown office space, have voted for union representation with the SEIU. This is one of the biggest private sector union victories in Texas and Southern history.
Read the SEIU statement here.
Despite a typically slanted article, one actually working person is quoted by the Houston Chronicle:
"I don't know how much it (a raise) would be, but what we want is a dignified wage," said Flora Aguilar, who has worked as a janitor for five years and makes $418 a month working part time. "What we are making now is not a dignified wage."
The local business leaders are
fretting about increased costs. For when workers get a raise, that's bad and inflationary. When executives and upper management get raises, it's good and market-driven.
My only disappointment is that I did not hear about this on any of the progressive blogs. Perhaps I missed a post. But in terms of impacting real lives, this is some of the best progressive news in months. It should have gotten more play than the latest screed againt Hillary or incantation for Dean. And it points, I think, to a general weakness on the blogs in regards to labor issues.