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Bruised But Not Beaten | Herridos pero no vencidos
Read more: Bruised But Not Beaten | Herridos pero no vencidosOn June 15, 1990, the LAPD armed with nightsticks attacked group of 500 peaceful demonstrators outside Century City that included women and children. LAPD officers in full riot gear chased janitors into a covered parking structure and beat them with clubs and when union officials tried to approach the officer in charge, they were pushed […]
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Police Violence in Century City
Read more: Police Violence in Century CityOn June 15, 1990, the Justice for Janitors mobilized their largest action to date: a march down Olympic Boulevard in Century City against ISS (International Services Systems). ISS was a Danish-owned cleaning contractor, the largest in the world at the time, and had acquired a Southern California based cleaning company (Doral Industries) and severed existing […]
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Civil Disobedience Training in Century City
Read more: Civil Disobedience Training in Century CityHaving scored some big wins downtown, the Justice for Janitors campaign initiated a second major campaign in Century City against the Danish-owned cleaning contractor ISS (International Services Systems), the largest cleaning contracting company in the world at the time. In May, janitors working for ISS in Century City unanimously voted to authorize a strike because, […]
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Seguro Medico? Si Se Puede! Mopman y Local 399 Luchando por tus Derechos!
Read more: Seguro Medico? Si Se Puede! Mopman y Local 399 Luchando por tus Derechos!The Justice for Janitors campaign frequently used street theater to enliven their demonstrations and dramatize their cause. Among their most recognizable characters was a luchador named Mop Man, who (in comics and performances) defended janitors against abuses by the boss. In this cartoon from the Justice for Janitors campaign, two workers worry about the cost of healthcare. […]
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“Trabajador Inmigrante” Conoce Tus Derechos! | Immigrant Worker: Know Your Rights!
Read more: “Trabajador Inmigrante” Conoce Tus Derechos! | Immigrant Worker: Know Your Rights!The Justice for Janitors campaign frequently used street theater to enliven their demonstrations and dramatize their cause. Among their most recognizable characters was a luchador named Mop Man, who (in comics and performances) defended janitors against abuses by the boss. In this flyer, Mop Man explains that employers may not require workers to present immigration paperwork, and […]
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“We’re sorry we weren’t able to clean your offices last night…”
Read more: “We’re sorry we weren’t able to clean your offices last night…”The glittering skyscrapers that came to dominate the downtown Los Angeles skyline often cost multiple millions of dollars to build, their owners more likely to be banks, hedge funds and multinational corporations, rather than individuals. These corporate owners outsourced their building services to property management companies who, in turn, contracted with cleaning companies who competed […]
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Organizing Downtown
Read more: Organizing DowntownAmong the Justice for Janitors campaign’s first targets in Los Angeles was Bradford Building Services, a cleaning services company with dozens of contracts in skyscrapers downtown. Bradford was one of several new subcontractors providing janitorial services at buildings that had broken long-standing union contracts with SEIU Local 399. Janitors claimed Bradford was taking illegal deductions […]
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Strategic research for union campaigns
Read more: Strategic research for union campaignsThis 1989 study of building service work written by Paul Schimek and published by SEIU Local 399 is an example of the union’s use of research to influence the public debate on equitable development in Los Angeles. Declaring that “Los Angeles should work for everyone,” the report highlighted the contrast between the prosperity of building […]
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Unions review impact of immigration reform
Read more: Unions review impact of immigration reformThe AFL-CIO published this information for unions and workers in the wake of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986. The law created a process for many undocumented residents to regularize their status, and the pamphlet highlights organized labor’s role in helping “undocumented workers attain legal status and prevent discrimination by employers.” In […]
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Jobs with Peace
Read more: Jobs with PeaceHow can progressive political movements win power in geographically expansive and multiracial cities like Los Angeles? The answer, according to the Los Angeles Jobs with Peace campaign was “coalition architecture,” an intentional strategy to link the interests of organized labor with the peace movement, the women’s movement, and the African American civil rights movement through […]
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