A colorful crowd of marchers, many in red Justice for Janitors t-shirts, gather for a march. In the foreground of the image (left to right) are Antonio Villaraigosa and another man in dark suits; Cardinal Roger Mahony in his regalia carrying a golden staff, Mike Garcia (president of SEIU 1877) in shirtsleeves, and Miguel Contreras, president of the LA Federation of Labor in a grey suit. Behind the Cardinal, a janitor carries a mop, its angle and height matching the Cardinal's staff.

Marching, 2000

After more than a decade of continuous organizing, the Justice for Janitors campaign of SEIU Local 1877 launched a citywide strike in the spring of 2000. Thousands of janitors, a large majority of the immigrants, shut down building service work and marched loudly across the city, shutting down busy intersections and disrupting the quiet of upper class neighborhoods. The janitors’ victory became a symbol of the potential revitalization of the labor movement in concert with the drive for immigrant right. Pictured here are Mike Garcia (center, Local 1877 President), Miguel Contreras (to his left, Pres. of the LA County Federation of Labor), Cardianl Roger Mahony (to his right), mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa, and former Mayor Richard Riordan (far right). Learn more about the Justice for Janitors campaign.