Fight for health care rallies SEIU

Approximately 500 janitors in the Service Employees International Union and their supporters… Approximately 500 janitors in the Service Employees International Union and their supporters circled OneMellonCenter in Downtown Pittsburgh at 8 a.m. Friday as part of their ‘Hold on to Health Care’ campaign.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The janitors, waving banners, purple push-brooms and soda cans full of rocks, marched from the PecoraBuilding on 8th Street to OneMellonCenter, receiving both supportive and frustrated car horn honks from downtown drivers. Once at Mellon Center, the marchers held hands to form a human ring around the building, singing ‘We shall not be moved!’ and inviting local labor and community leaders to speak about the need for affordable heath care for janitors and their families.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘Our members are really ready to fight over this,’ said Gabe Morgan, Pittsburgh director of SEIU Local 3, the downtown janitors’ union. He explained that many janitors have lost health care for their families and are in danger of losing health care themselves.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘At some point you have to say ‘Enough is enough,” he said.’ Whatever it takes to get our kids to the doctor, we’re going to do.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ SEIU spokesman Tom Hoffman said this weekend’s rally was the kick-off for the janitor’s ‘Health Care Defense Fund,’ which would help support the janitors if they were to strike after their contract expires on Oct. 31. He explained that the union would set up booths in many of the downtown office buildings starting on Monday and ask the people who work there to contribute to the fund.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ In the event the union does not strike, he said the money would be donated to charity that supports low-income people.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘If there’s going to be an increase in money for the janitors, it’s got to come from the big corporations,’ he said.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Members of 32 union and community organizations — including the Labor Religion Coalition of Western Pennsylvania, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23, the United Steelworkers Women of Steel and members of Pitt’s Students in Solidarity — came to support Pittsburgh’s janitors Friday morning. Hoffman added that Andrew Palm, international vice president of the United Steel Workers of America, was also in attendance.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The grounds crew and janitors at Pitt are also members of SEIU, and though the union successfully renegotiated their contract with Pitt during the summer, several turned out to support their fellow workers Downtown. James Smith, a janitor at the Graduate School of Public Health, proudly wore his SEIU ribbon, saying it represented the fight for health care for all working people in Pennsylvania.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘This is the best health care that we’ve ever had, but we know it can get better,’ Smith said in reference to Pitt’s new contract and its provisions for health care. ‘We only make so much money, and the percentage they take out is too much.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Hoffman did not comment on the current state of negotiations with the building managers and cleaning contractors of the downtown office buildings, but he said several negotiation sessions have been scheduled for this week. He added that SEIU will hold a Justice for Janitors Defense Fund Benefit for all ages at the Shadow Lounge on Oct. 25 to draw further support for the fight for health care.