University of Maryland cleaning staff members call for better working conditions
Source: Washington Post
By Nicole Chavez
At 4 a.m every work day, Vicenta Reyes starts cleaning classrooms, labs and halls at the University of Maryland in College Park. At 8 a.m., she goes inside a janitorial closet and sits next to cleaning supplies to eat her lunch.
The daily routine, Reyes and other cleaning staff members said, is part of a pattern of poor working conditions at U-Md., and on Thursday they staged a demonstration to publicize their concerns.
Joined by students and other university employees, cleaning staff members gathered in front of the Stamp Student Union. “We demand dignity,” read one sign. “No more verbal or labor abuse,” read another.
The protest was long overdue, said Reyes, who is 62 and has worked at U-Md. for almost 12 years. “For years, no one ever said anything about it,” she said. “Many are afraid of losing their jobs. I’m here because, as a worker, I need some respect.”
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/cleaning-staff-members-at-university-of-maryland-call-for-better-working-conditions/2013/06/27/453772e0-df5d-11e2-963a-72d740e88c12_story.html#
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