www.minneapolisunions.orgPage 12 • Minneapolis Labor Review • February 22, 2013

SEIU Local 26 janitors, security officers vote to authorize strike

Photo, above: SEIU Local 26 security officers stood with “Yes!” signs to vote to authorize their bargaining committee to call a strike.

Labor Review photosFor more photos from this event: facebook.com/minneapolisunions

By Steve Share, Labor Review editorMINNEAPOLIS — In back to back

votes, SEIU Local 26 security officers and janitors voted February 9 to autho-rize their respective bargaining commit-tees to call a strike at any time.

Both groups of workers have been working under expired contracts since December 31.

The 6,000 janitors and security offi-cers work for many of the same contrac-tors, providing services at downtown and suburban workplaces for many of the Twin Cities’ largest corporations.

“Never before have janitors and secu-rity officers been negotiating a contract at the same time,” said Javier Morillo-Ali-cea, president of SEIU Local 26. “We have a common goal — to move our fam-ilies and our community forward… Our employers have a common goal — they want to move us backward…”

Security contractors’ proposals in-clude moving hundreds of full-time posi-tions to part-time, eliminating all benefits and access to health care.

Janitorial contractors’ proposals in-clude cuts to more than 50 percent of ja-nitors, including pay cuts as high as 40 percent.

Before the strike votes, the janitors and security officers who filled an audito-rium at the Minneapolis Convention Center heard from their bargaining com-mittee members, Congressman Keith El-lison, and labor and community allies.

Brahim Kone, a janitor at Flint Hills Refinery, and member of the janitors’ bargaining committee, reported: “The companies want to take us 10 years back-wards… They want all the buildings in the suburbs to go from full-time to part-time.” That would mean a pay cut from $13.42 per hour to $10.00 per hour. Go-ing to part-time, he added, also meant that “the health benefits will be cut.”

“We are being treated unfairly,” Kone said. For Kone, the stakes are very real and very personal. He and his wife, who is in school, have two children. “I am the only one working,” he said. “My income is everything… My house is on the line for this… Going part-time would be sui-cide.”

Gene Worley, SEIU Local 26 member and security officer at Town Square, is a member of the security officers’ bargain-ing committee. “We’ve bargained in good faith but we have received unrealistic counter-offers,” he said. “Now is the time to make a stand… We’ve had enough of their stalling.”

Worley noted the gains that security

Photo, left: Brahim Kone, SEIU Local 26 member and janitor at Flint Hills Refinery, is a bargaining committee member. “The companies want to take us 10 years back-wards.”

Photo, right: Gene Worley, SEIU Local 26 member and security officer at Town Square, is a member of the bargaining com-mittee. “We’ve bargained in good faith but we have received unrealistic counter-of-fers… Now is the time to take a stand.”

Photo, above: Displaying “Yes!” signs — in five languages — SEIU Local 26 janitors stood to vote to authorize their bargaining committee to call a strike.

Photo, left: Following the strike votes, SEIU Local 26 president Javier Morillo-Alicea told members, “this concludes our vote — but not our work.”

SEIU LOCAL 26 page 9

www.minneapolisunions.org February 22, 2013 • Minneapolis Labor Review • Page 9

Retiree MeetingsIf your union local’s retirees group wishes to list your meeting notices here, please contact the Labor Review at 612-379-4725 or e-mail

laborreview@minneapolisunions.org.ATU Local 1005 Retirees:

Meet North, South, and St. PaulHere is the schedule for the Amalgamated

Transit Union Local 1005 retiree meetings:Minneapolis North: Second Tuesday of

each month, 8:30 a.m., Barnacle Bills, 6440 James Circle N., Brooklyn Center.

Minneapolis South: First Wednesday and fourth Thursday of each month, 8:00 a.m., VFW Post 5555, 6715 Lake Shore Drive, Richfield.

St. Paul: Second Wednesday of each month, 12 noon, Mattie’s, 365 N. Concord St., South St. Paul.

CWA Local 7200 Retirees: Next meeting planned March 19

The Retired Members Club of Communi-cations Workers of America Local 7200 will meet Tuesday, March 19. The meeting begins at 11:00 a.m. at the CWA Local 7200 hall, 3521 E. Lake St., Minneapolis. The agenda will include updates since the last meeting in December. Turkey a la King on biscuits will be served for lunch (no charge). For more in-formation, call the CWA Local 7200 hall at 612-722-7200.

IBEW Local 292 Retirees: Next meeting March 12

The IBEW Local 292 Retirees meet the second Tuesday of each month. The next

meeting is March 12. The meeting begins at 12:30 p.m. at the United Labor Centre, 312 Central Ave., Minneapolis.

For more information, contact the IBEW Local 292 office at 612-379-1292.

Plumbers Local 15 Retirees: Meet the third Tuesday of each monthAll retired Plumbers Local 15 members

are invited to attend retiree meetings, continu-ing the third Tuesday of every month at 1 p.m. at Chester Bird American Legion Post 523, 200 Lilac Dr. N., Golden Valley (located at the intersection of Highway 100 and Glenwood Ave.). For more information, contact the Plumbers Local 15 office at 612-333-8601.

Pipefitters Local 539 Retirees:Fazed Out Fitters meet third Thursday

Pipefitters Local 539 retirees — the Fazed Out Fitters — meet the third Thursday of every month at 11:00 a.m. at the Richfield VFW, Lyndale Ave. So. and W. 67th St. New members welcome.

Sheet Metal Workers Local 10 Retirees: ‘Rusty Tinners’ meet March 12

The next meeting for the Sheet Metal Workers Local 10’s “Rusty Tinners” retirees club will be Tuesday, March 12 at the Maple-wood union hall, 1681 E. Cope Ave. Lunch begins at 12 noon. Pizza will be provided — salads and desserts welcomed. The meeting begins at 1:00 p.m. The guest speaker will be Janell Twardowski of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, talking about “Amber Alert” and child abduction in the State of Minnesota. For any questions, contact Ted DeGraw at 651-453-9739

U of M’s Labor Education Service to host Union Women’s RetreatRegistration deadline is coming March 21

MINNEAPOLIS — March 21 is the registration deadline for the 2013 Minnesota Union Women’s Retreat sponsored by the University of Min-nesota Labor Education Service.

This year’s retreat runs from April 24-26 at Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge in the Brainerd Lakes Area.

The cost to at-tend ranges from $393 to $497, de-pending on type of lodging.

To assist unions in sending younger women, LES is offering a dis-counted registration fee for partici-pants age 30 and younger.

The Union Women’s Retreat is part of a series of events designed to foster greater participation by women in their workplaces, unions and communities.

Under the theme “Raising Wom-en’s Voices for Solidarity,” the retreat will provide the opportunity to analyze the challenges facing women in the la-bor movement and help them build the

confidence and skills to address them.General session and workshop top-

ics include public policies for wom-en’s equality, examples of Minnesota unions leading on women’s issues, public speaking, organizing strategies and methods for engaging younger workers.

K e y n o t e speakers will be Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, who will share the inspir-

ing story of her union’s historic strike for public education; and Elizabeth Cuero Badillo, a leader in Colombia’s port workers’ union, who will describe the challenges of organizing in the world’s most dangerous country for union activists.

For more information, call 612-624-5020 to request a brochure or visit the Labor Education Service website, www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/labor-education-service.

Raising Women’s Voices for Solidarity

2013 Minnesota Union Women’s RetreatApril 24-26

Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge

officers won from a one-day strike five years ago. They won modest wage in-creases, a health plan for individuals, and two sick days. “Really?” Worley asked. “What about the rest of the flu?” He said he worked while sick recently because he had used up all his sick days. The time is now, he added, for security officers to get affordable family health care coverage.

Speakers were flanked by posters showing the sky-high salaries of the cor-porate CEOs whose offices are cleaned and kept safe by SEIU Local 26 mem-bers, low wage workers who are being asked to take wage cuts.

One poster noted that U.S. Bank CEO Richard Davis earns the equivalent of $6,500 per hour.

“It’s morally wrong,” said Fifth Dis-trict Congressman Keith Ellison, who addressed the SEIU Local 26 janitors and security officers before the strike vote.

“Today is a very serious moment in the lives of everyone here. We know it is a big deal… I am so proud of you and your courage,” Ellison said.

“Right now you are fighting for your individual families and for your union,” Ellison said. “If you will fight here, work-ing people all over America will fight.”

Bill McCarthy, president of the Min-neapolis Regional Labor Federation pledged the support of the MRLF’s 125 affiliated unions and 75,000 members. “Your fight for justice is our fight,” he said.

Minnesota AFL-CIO president Shar Knutson also offered the support of the state labor federation and its 1,000 affili-ated unions and 300,000 members.

“Don’t be bullied,” urged Anthony Newby, director of Neighborhoods Orga-nizing for Change. “These people are try-ing to take away your ability to provide for your family.”

Holding aloft “Yes!” signs printed in five languages, first the SEIU Local 26 security officers and then the SEIU Local 26 janitors stood to vote to authorize their bargaining committee to call a strike. Both votes passed unanimously.

After the strike votes passed, SEIU Local 26 president Javier Morillo-Alicea had a message for the cleaning contrac-tors and security contractors: “We are ready and willing to negotiate. Nobody wants to strike. If you’re going to con-tinue to disrespect us at the bargaining table, then we will strike.”

To SEIU Local 26 members, Morillo-Alicea said: “This concludes our vote — but not our work.”

This issue of the Labor Review went to press February 15. For updates to this story, visit www.workdayminnesota.org.

SEIU Local 26continued from page 12