Success and Impact
Turning Point
Members of Justice for Janitors would credit the success of the campaign to the demonstration 500 janitors performed on June 15, 1990, in Century City. Gruesome accounts of this demonstration were made public, along with the video above, and it fostered the widespread support that the janitors needed for their campaign to succeed. After the public discovered the unwarranted abuse and violence inflicted on protesters by law enforcement, the only thing that would satisfy the public was the acquiescence of building owners. Now that these building owners were facing criticism from the community due to this negative publicity, they decided to provide their workers with what they deserved.
Demonstrations like the one held in Century City accurately display the temperament and motivation of immigrants. Prior to commencing the protest, members were taught how to behave in the event that they received opposition form law enforcement. Even as they were beaten and treated as second class citizens, the protesters behaved in a manner that the campaign would approve.
Demonstrations like the one held in Century City accurately display the temperament and motivation of immigrants. Prior to commencing the protest, members were taught how to behave in the event that they received opposition form law enforcement. Even as they were beaten and treated as second class citizens, the protesters behaved in a manner that the campaign would approve.
Above is an interview with Valery Alzaga who provides her passionate insight on the success of the Justice for Janitors campaign and how it was able to create a monumental impact of the rights of service sector employees. A 22% increase in wages for Janitors in Los Angeles over the course of three years was achieved. Overall, the organization was able to help 225,000 janitors in 29 cities across the United States. All of this success was due to the tenacity of immigrants and their ability to organize. Justice for Janitors provided future campaigns - including OUR Walmart and Fast Food Forward - with a playbook for how to successfully fight for the right of workers (Work Center Watch).
The methods that the Justice for janitors campaign implicated helped organize an underrepresented group and create a campaign playbook that would be used for future campaigns.
Playbook:
1st Stage - Research and Mapping: it is important to understand the situation in order to create an effective plan.
2nd Stage - Organize Workers: it is important to systematically organize workers in order to ensure that a large following is created especially in a situation where the underrepresented group can actually band together and use their strength in numbers to create pressure.
3rd Stage - Go Public: once organizing is complete it is ready for the campaign to go public and make their cause known. This will hopefully gain support from the public and members in the community who are interested in the cause.
4th Stage - Place Pressure: workers and allies need to band together to place pressure on the company through the internet, media, land legal threats. When pressure is applied at multiple angles, it helps the campaign make their opponent vulnerable and ready to acquiesce at any moment.
5th Stage - Civil Disobedience: at this point the campaign has organized and done their work and hope to finally achieve their goal. With civil disobedience comes public scrutiny of companies which will make them give in to the campaigns demands in hopes of maintaining their public image.
(Alzaga)
The methods that the Justice for janitors campaign implicated helped organize an underrepresented group and create a campaign playbook that would be used for future campaigns.
Playbook:
1st Stage - Research and Mapping: it is important to understand the situation in order to create an effective plan.
2nd Stage - Organize Workers: it is important to systematically organize workers in order to ensure that a large following is created especially in a situation where the underrepresented group can actually band together and use their strength in numbers to create pressure.
3rd Stage - Go Public: once organizing is complete it is ready for the campaign to go public and make their cause known. This will hopefully gain support from the public and members in the community who are interested in the cause.
4th Stage - Place Pressure: workers and allies need to band together to place pressure on the company through the internet, media, land legal threats. When pressure is applied at multiple angles, it helps the campaign make their opponent vulnerable and ready to acquiesce at any moment.
5th Stage - Civil Disobedience: at this point the campaign has organized and done their work and hope to finally achieve their goal. With civil disobedience comes public scrutiny of companies which will make them give in to the campaigns demands in hopes of maintaining their public image.
(Alzaga)
Justice for Janitors: Today
Although the Justice for Janitors campaign achieved its goal in the 1990s, it still works to find justice for immigrants. As a part of SEIU, it has recently taken part in "On May Day No Justice Delayed" which fights for $15/hour wages, the implementation of DAPA/DACA - which gives aid to immigrants coming to America - and fair law enforcement for blacks and latinos.
It is apparent that the work of the Justice for Janitors campaign, and SEIU, will never end as the rights of immigrants still need to be fought for.
It is apparent that the work of the Justice for Janitors campaign, and SEIU, will never end as the rights of immigrants still need to be fought for.