On Thursday, April 30, one hundred janitors and supporters marched and set up a permanent encampment on the sidewalk in front of Cisco Systems’ corporate headquarters in San Jose, California, to protest the firing of more than 75 low-wage janitors. The janitors, many of whom are single mothers, cannot pay their rent for the month of May, and are instead camping in front of Cisco until the company orders its contractor American Building Management (ABM) to reinstate them.
“Without my cleaning job at Cisco, my family can’t afford to pay our rent for next month,” said Juanita Gameros, a San Jose resident and mother of three. “My husband doesn’t make enough money to pay our rent and still have any left over to live on.”
In contrast to the massive layoffs of maintenance staff, Cisco CEO John Chambers has publicly boasted about the company’s excellent fiscal health and “aggressive” expansion amidst the economic crisis. Cisco currently has $34 billion in cash on hand — more than any other technology company, according to the New York Times — and has acquired about 35 smaller companies in the past four years. Chambers received more than $11 million in compensation in 2008.
“I don’t understand why we lost our jobs at Cisco even though the company is doing so well,” said Esther Lopez, a young single mother of 2. “I’m very worried about the future because I’ve been looking for a new job, but there isn’t any work available.”
Supporters from the San Jose community joined the janitors at the camp on Thursday, including Presbyterian pastor John Sullivan and volunteers from St. Justin Catholic Church also stopped by the camp to deliver more than 50 bags of groceries.
Dozens of janitors who remain on the job at Cisco also joined their coworkers at the camp. These janitors expressed concerns about their higher workloads and health and safety in the face of the massive layoffs. “My eight hour shift doesn’t give me enough time to safely finish all my work,” said Cecilia Fernandez.
For more information on the janitors’ camp and struggle for justice at Cisco, please visit www.CiscoInhumaNetwork.com.
With 2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers — not just corporations and CEOs — benefit from today’s global economy.
