English and Spanish TV news coverage of street actions leading up to the 1995 strike by SEIU Local 399, the Justice for Janitors campaign. The strike came in the wake of the passage of Proposition 187, which imposed severe new restrictions on the rights of undocumented immigrants, and amidst internal turmoil in the union, which eventually resulted in Local 399 being placed under a trusteeship. But despite these obstacles, the janitors mobilized like never before, waging strikes across downtown and across Southern California.

This news roundup assembled by Local 399 features organizers Mike Garcia, Rocio Saenz, and Jono Shaffer, as well as member-leaders. The differences in style and presentation between English and Spanish-language reports suggest parallel public views of unions, inequality, and immigration.

The original video tape and others are available to researchers at the UCLA Library Department of Special Collections: