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Support striking janitors in Houston

Hard-working janitors in Houston are on the fifth day of a tough strike. According to charges being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board, workers have been spied on, photographed, interrogated, threatened with suspension or termination, and even fired. On Wednesday, a bus full of strikers came under attack. When a female SEIU organizer tried to protect the workers, she was thrown to the ground and punched by one of the cleaning company's male supervisors.

Houston janitors are paid an average of $5.30 an hour, work part-time, and are offered no health or other benefits. In fact, Houston janitors take home only $20/day. In other cities, janitors who work for the same national cleaning companies-cleaning buildings owned by the same national and multinational real estate trusts-are paid more than $10 an hour, work full-time, and have health insurance.

Houston's largest hometown building owner--Hines Interests--can help resolve this crisis. Building owners negotiate and set rates with their own janitorial contractors who keep their buildings clean. Unfortunately, current contracts do not allow for higher wages or health insurance for janitors. Please tell Hines to instruct their contractors to meet the janitors' proposal of $8.50 per hour with health insurance, and to tell their contractors to respect their workers' rights and to bargain in good faith with the union as the law requires. Tell Hines to help end the Houston crisis.