The workers held a rally at the Minneapolis Convention Center Saturday and marched through downtown Minneapolis under the banner, "Justice for Janitors."
"Unaffordable health care is like an apple hanging from a high branch," said Jamilo Ali, a janitor for Marsden Building Maintenance in St. Paul and the mother of two young children. "We are working to bring health care within reach for working families like mine."
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Members of SEIU Local 26 marched from the Minneapolis Convention Center through downtown Minneapolis Saturday. The union kicked off its "Justice for Janitors" campaign with a rally held in six languages. |
Access to affordable health care is a growing problem in Minnesota and around the country, especially for low-income working people. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 70 percent of Minnesota families without health insurance had at least one adult working full-time. In addition, 44 percent of the Minnesota uninsured have incomes above 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, compared to 36 percent nationwide.
The janitors – members of Service Employees International Union Local 26 – are working to find common-sense solutions to the health care crisis for working families. Health insurance will be a key issue in upcoming contract negotiations for 5,000 area janitors. The janitors\' current contract expires Dec. 31.
The Minneapolis campaign ties in with contract efforts by janitors across the United States, said Walter Castellanos, a janitor who works in St. Louis Park. “We are the same community, the same people cleaning buildings all over the country. We stand together to be strong through Justice for Janitors."
Several elected officials and candidates, including Judi Dutcher, the labor- and DFL- endorsed candidate for lieutenant governor, lent their support to workers at the rally. "We will not forget our friends in SEIU," Dutcher pledged.
SEIU Local 26 represents nearly 6,000 building service workers in the seven-county metro area. Nationally, SEIU represents more than 1.8 million members, including more than 225,000 janitors.
More photos from the Justice for Janitors\' campaign kickoff:
Photos by Michael Moore
Read the story at this link:
https://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_2749
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The workers held a rally at the Minneapolis Convention Center Saturday and marched through downtown Minneapolis under the banner, "Justice for Janitors."
"Unaffordable health care is like an apple hanging from a high branch," said Jamilo Ali, a janitor for Marsden Building Maintenance in St. Paul and the mother of two young children. "We are working to bring health care within reach for working families like mine."
![]() |
Members of SEIU Local 26 marched from the Minneapolis Convention Center through downtown Minneapolis Saturday. The union kicked off its "Justice for Janitors" campaign with a rally held in six languages. |
Access to affordable health care is a growing problem in Minnesota and around the country, especially for low-income working people. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 70 percent of Minnesota families without health insurance had at least one adult working full-time. In addition, 44 percent of the Minnesota uninsured have incomes above 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, compared to 36 percent nationwide.
The janitors – members of Service Employees International Union Local 26 – are working to find common-sense solutions to the health care crisis for working families. Health insurance will be a key issue in upcoming contract negotiations for 5,000 area janitors. The janitors\’ current contract expires Dec. 31.
The Minneapolis campaign ties in with contract efforts by janitors across the United States, said Walter Castellanos, a janitor who works in St. Louis Park. “We are the same community, the same people cleaning buildings all over the country. We stand together to be strong through Justice for Janitors."
Several elected officials and candidates, including Judi Dutcher, the labor- and DFL- endorsed candidate for lieutenant governor, lent their support to workers at the rally. "We will not forget our friends in SEIU," Dutcher pledged.
SEIU Local 26 represents nearly 6,000 building service workers in the seven-county metro area. Nationally, SEIU represents more than 1.8 million members, including more than 225,000 janitors.
More photos from the Justice for Janitors\’ campaign kickoff:
Photos by Michael Moore
Read the story at this link:
https://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_2749