Hundreds of union janitors marched through the streets of downtown San Diego today as part of a statewide protest against their low wages.
The protest is part of a statewide effort to better labor contracts with janitorial companies contracted to clean the properties of wealthy property owners.
After the march, supporters met to rally, including Congressman Bob Filner, state Senator Juan Vargas, Councilwoman Marti Emerald, Councilman Todd Gloria and other politicians.
Louie Morales, a union member who attended the march said, “the majority of us live paycheck to paycheck anyway so it isn’t like we are asking for the world, we just want a good shot at keeping our families together, that’s all.”
“We are earning less and less money, and we are working more and more,” said Jessica Lopez, the political coordinator for the SEIU United Service Workers West.
“It is time that folks that have been greedy get stopped," she says, "and those of us who are barely making ends meet, who are a paycheck away from being homeless, we rise up together, help each other, and let’s share the prosperity.”
Similar events took place throughout Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Jose.
