2008 Woodie Awards
SJSU custodians join Teamsters
Union to clean up 'at-will' status
Tara Duffy
Issue date: 5/12/08 Section: News
Harms said he feels unions are good for workers to join because they hold an employer responsible for his or her actions.
"If you are promised a raise, you have to get a raise," he said. "You have a contract, in black and white. You know where you stand."
Alvelais said that she felt many of the custodians were underpaid.
"These are the men and women who clean and sanitize SJSU and keep things well kept," she said. "Some were working for only $8 an hour. It took some custodians years to break the $10 mark. We want to give them better wages. These are human beings. Everyone should have workers rights."
Although the custodians are now officially part of the Teamsters union, there are still a few loose ends to be tied up.
"Now we will negotiate a contract," Harms said. "So now they will tell the union what their concerns are, and it is then negotiated from there."
"I think it's good," said Renata Garaykhanov, a freshman who is double majoring in business and art. Eight dollars an hour is not enough for anybody, especially in San Jose. It's great that they are stepping up to take the initiative to try and change something."
"If you are promised a raise, you have to get a raise," he said. "You have a contract, in black and white. You know where you stand."
Alvelais said that she felt many of the custodians were underpaid.
"These are the men and women who clean and sanitize SJSU and keep things well kept," she said. "Some were working for only $8 an hour. It took some custodians years to break the $10 mark. We want to give them better wages. These are human beings. Everyone should have workers rights."
Although the custodians are now officially part of the Teamsters union, there are still a few loose ends to be tied up.
"Now we will negotiate a contract," Harms said. "So now they will tell the union what their concerns are, and it is then negotiated from there."
"I think it's good," said Renata Garaykhanov, a freshman who is double majoring in business and art. Eight dollars an hour is not enough for anybody, especially in San Jose. It's great that they are stepping up to take the initiative to try and change something."
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Elma Arredondo
posted 5/12/08 @ 11:03 AM PST
This article needs clarification. The majority of campus custodians at SJSU are represented by the California State Employees Association, SEIU Local 2579. (Continued…)
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