Sunday, November 19, 2006
Shame
Janitors in Houston, Texas, are trying to negotiate a contract with five national cleaning firms. The janitors are paid minimum wage, have not health benefits, and are limited to 20 hours of work per week.
On Thursday, the janitors staged a sit-down strike to call attention to their cause and put pressure on the employers to make them a decent offer.
Mounted police trampled the protestors and then arrested them. Two of the protestors, including an 83-year-old woman, were hospitalized. Many others were injured.
In jail, they were abused and harassed by the guards. Bail has been set prohibitively high.
One of the more shameful aspects of the police officers' abuse of the protestors is that the Houston police are unionized themselves, but they don't hesitate to attack people for organizing. Here is the police union's email address. You Know What To Do.
More blogs about politics.
