The Service Employees International Union Local 2 has launched a campaign calling on property owners, managers and cleaning contractors to work together to make immediate improvements to cleaner’s working conditions.
Called the Invisible to Essential campaign, the campaign demands include an immediate $2 per hour raise; keeping cleaners employed during the crisis; and ensuring all cleaners are working safely with the required training and Personal Protect Equipment (PPE).
“I have to work even though there is great risk to my own health,” said Vilma Lopez, a janitor working in Burnaby. "We are providing an important service to the public and deserve more respect for our hard work.”
The SEIU Local 2 represents more than 10,000 janitors across Canada, and it notes that COVID-19 has thrust many of its members into the spotlight. However, organizers note that janitors continue to receive low pay and little appreciation for their service.
In response, members state that every worker needs to earn enough to pay the bills, job protection, and appropriate health safeguards.
“At least now society understands how important and essential we are,” syas Slim Gedeon, who cleans City Hall in the nation’s capital. “We are the ones disinfecting to keep our city safe. I am constantly disinfecting elevator buttons, doorknobs and working hard to ensure the virus does not spread.”
According to SEIU, janitors face the triple threats of layoffs, low wages, and health impacts of COVID-19.
The SEIU adds that janitors ensure essential workplaces are kept clean, including healthcare facilities, public transportation systems, airports, vital shopping locations, courthouses, morgues, parcel delivery facilities, police stations, office buildings, and more. And, when the time comes for people to return to work, they'll be deep cleaning the shutdown workplaces. These include the schools, colleges, and universities our children attend.
The janitors’ union has been in contact with employers since the beginning of the crisis, ensuring all required safety measures were being met. Most recently an open letter was delivered addressing the government’s new position on mask-wearing.
“People say that we are important, but do they really treat us that way?” Gedeon wonders.
In just a few days, a public petition supporting the janitors’ demands has received over one thousand signatures.
