WHEREAS, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents 1.4 million workers, is engaged in a nationwide Justice for Janitors campaign; and
WHEREAS, The purpose of the campaign is to draw attention to the working conditions of janitors, building support for the economic, social, and human rights of janitors through union representation; and
WHEREAS, SEIU Local 36 as part of the Justice for Janitors campaign, recently won the right in a union election to represent 55 V-Tech janitors who work in Philadelphia’s SEPTA stations and at WHYY studios; and
WHEREAS, SEIU Local 36 represents nearly 5000 janitors and building maintenance workers in Center City office buildings and the surrounding areas; and
WHEREAS, Nearly all SEIU Local 36 members and V-Tech janitors live in Philadelphia, are ethnically diverse, and are overwhelmingly people of color; and
WHEREAS, V-Tech janitors who work in Philadelphia’s SEPTA stations and at WHYY studios receive poverty wages, no benefits, no holiday pay, no paid vacations and less than half of what downtown Local 36 members earn in wages and benefits; and
WHEREAS, There are allegations that V-Tech janitors have endured harassment, intimidation, and unfair labor practices in their effort to win union representation; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia has a strong history in supporting labor and the union movement; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PHILADELPHIA, That we salute SEIU Local 36 and the V-Tech janitors and we support the efforts of V-Tech janitors to earn living wages, to have job security, basic health care benefits, and safe working conditions.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That Council supports the rights of SEIU Local 36 on behalf of V-Tech janitors to negotiate a fair contract.
End