D.C. janitors explain union contract fight
BY JANICE LYNN
WASHINGTON--Custodians at Catholic University continue to press their fight for a union contract with decent wages and affordable health insurance. Some 200 students, faculty, staff, and community activists packed a meeting room on the campus September 13 for a teach-in to learn about this struggle.
"We are hardworking people and we deserve more money. We deserve justice," declared Virginia Willis, one of 10 janitors who attended. Catholic University janitors start at $6.15 an hour and average about $8 an hour--well below the wages at every other university in Washington. In addition, Catholic University charges janitors $249.11 per month for family health insurance, higher than any other campus.
University administrators have waged a campaign of intimidation, including videotaping workers at protests, and banning the representative of the Service Employees International Union from coming onto campus for the teach-in.
Antoinette Harris, another Catholic University janitor, told the Militant she was inspired by the telephone workers strike against Verizon. "I watched their fight every day. And after two weeks they won. We're going to win, too!"
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