Last-Minute Rally Downtown?

Maybe, probably, I’m not on the right mailing lists, but I just got the following e-mail, which was the first I’d heard of this event:

Rally to Support Striking UM Workers,

Friday March 10, 4:30 pm County Bldg. 111 NW 1st ST That’s Government Center in downtown!!

Every Miami Worker Deserves A Chance for a Better Life. You Can Help UM Janitors Get That Chance.

IT’S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET in Miami on $6.40 an hour. Yet that’s all many contract cleaners at the University of Miami are paid. $51 a day with no health benefits. Less than half the county median wage. On these tiny salaries, we’re forced to make choices we never thought we’d be faced with in the United States: Do we pay rent or buy groceries? Buy shoes for our kids or fill a prescription? UM’s mostly Cuban-American janitors have been joining together to build a better life for ourselves one where we don’t have to make these choices. But the company we work for–UNICCO, the cleaning contractor hired by the university–has been punishing those who speak out by threatening, intimidating, and even suspending union supporters. So we’ve decided we must strike to make our voices heard. You can help send a message to UNICCO:

Give Miami janitors a chance to live the American dream.

Support Striking Janitors
RALLY: Friday, March 10 ? 4:30 p.m.
County Building, 111 NW 1st Street

For more information, contact SEIU Local 11 305-672-7071, ext. 246
Service Employees International Union Local 11

This all seems rather last minute. I’m certainly not in a position to go. I hope they know what they are doing.

Update: The organizers’ account of the rally — 300+ is a good turnout for this sort of event.

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5 Responses to Last-Minute Rally Downtown?

  1. sue Ann Campbell says:

    Isn’t 4:30 a bit late? Or are they after the evening news? I hope someone at least alerted the local stations.

    This doesn’t seem well organized. Don’t these kinds of demonstrations needs a “permit” now?

  2. student says:

    This event was not at all “last minute.” It had been organized since at least Monday of this week. I actually posted the date, time and place of the event on your own blog in the “Strike Roulette Starts Today” thread on March 7th. There were purple flyers for it all over campus.

  3. Michael says:

    Well, since I haven’t been on campus….

    But you’re right about having put a in comment 3 days ago. By luck of the draw, Dreamhost didn’t e-mail me that one (I get most comments emailed to me but the program drops some when the machine gets very busy). Next time, please send me an email direct?

    Anyway, how about telling us how it went?

  4. Simon Evnine says:

    Michael,

    The right mailing list to be on is the one run by Giovanna Pompele at gpompele@gmail.com. Drop her a note and she’ll add you. You can also check things out on our blog at http://www.picketline.blogspot.com.

    Best
    Simon

  5. Michael says:

    Thank you. Although the site doesn’t advertise it, there’s an Atom RSS feed available and I’ve now signed up for that.

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