With oil prices skyrocketing and the debate of whether or not Americans are in a recession, some speculate that the average employee is struggling for a decent life and many are taking a stand in the workplace.
One of the most publicized cases has been the writers’ strike in Hollywood, but many workers, especially in the service industry, have been striking, rallying or demonstrating for fair wages and affordable health care.
For over two years janitors in Indianapolis have been on a quest to get to the bargaining table in hopes of gaining more work hours and affordable health care.
“I’ve been in the janitorial business for over 30 years. Until this point, I really saw no future in it. I was always looking for a better day,” said janitor Harry Webster in a recent interview with the Recorder.
It’s seemed like a long time coming, but over 1,500 Indianapolis janitors have formed a union with the 1.9 million member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and will soon be negotiating with the city’s largest cleaning companies, who currently offer the majority of janitors four to six working hours a day and pay between $6 and $7.50 an hour with no affordable health care.
Indianapolis’ janitors have had slow success, but others in the service industry, such as hotel workers, are just getting started.
According to a recent news release, the hotel and convention industry in Indianapolis is booming, but workers in the Circle City are among the lowest paid hotel workers of any major city in the United States. For instance, housekeepers in Indianapolis start at about $7.50 an hour, whereas housekeepers in Chicago start at $13.55. Through a campaign called Hotel Workers Rising, workers are organizing to transform their jobs.
In November 2007, workers from the Sheraton at Keystone Crossing and the Westin Indianapolis presented to their general managers a petition signed by a majority of workers, calling for a fair process for workers to decide whether or not to have a union. As of Recorder press time, no formal response has been made for their requests.
“They won’t talk to us. Whenever we try to come to the office they’ll tell us they can’t see us or don’t want to discuss it. We’ve been turned away,” said Louise McClain, a housekeeper at the Westin hotel.
McClain states she cleans on average 18 rooms per day from top to bottom at $8.83 an hour.
When asked if she ever considered signing up for Medicaid instead of opting for the Westin’s insurance plan, cook Eva Jackson stated being that she is employed, she shouldn’t have to rely on the government to take care of her family.
According to Ruth Ann Trobe, a snack bar operator at the Westin, although there is an open door policy, she received a verbal warning for being “disruptive” when she and other employees peacefully gathered in the office of their hotel manager.
“We just went through a $6 million renovation in the hotel. This is a major corporation. We know they can find better ways to provide this because there are so many different health groups out there,” said Trobe.
So what’s with the sudden uproar of employees across the nation?
“Usually when people get to the level of a strike, they have reached some level of impasse with their management regarding work practices, wages or benefits,” said Dr. Terry Schindler, assistant professor of management at the University of Indianapolis. “Another thing is people are really strapped for disposable income so they’re going to try to get a wage increase.”
Some people may be edgy about today’s economy, but at the end of the day, Schindler states first and foremost, businesses exist to make money. When running a business, there are two major costs, labor and materials. A company will do what they can to reduce material costs. If they can’t get any more reduction, they have to go for a reduction in labor cost. Companies may also look for ways to improve productivity.
Companies are also experiencing higher material costs which could be connected to rising fuel prices.
Despite the reason, Schindler states employee strikes or demonstrations happen during good or bad economic times. Like the hotel workers, employees still want raises, good benefits, or fair good work practices.
“We just want a voice and fair benefits. We don’t get paid enough for what we do,” said McClain.
