USC janitors marched through campus Monday afternoon, asking USC and their partner company Aramark to accept the terms of a new contract which calls for better insurance and benefits.
Although the march took place on USC’s campus, the janitors say their fight is with Aramark. USC hires the company to handle all the cleaning on campus.
According to USC janitor Maria Contreras, the janitors’ contract with Aramark expired on February 28. Now they are negotiating the terms of the new contract in an effort to increase the benefits they are provided. The march began at Tommy Trojan and made its way to the office of the vice president and executive director of facilities planning and management.
Around 100 janitors attended the march. They chanted “You see it, you feel it, the union is present” and “si se puede,” which translates to “yes we can.” Organizers used megaphones to amplify the slogans, repeating everything in both English and Spanish. Their messages focused on the rising cost of living in Los Angeles and the importance of immigrants at USC.
The march started at the same time as conservative political activist Charlie Kirk’s appearance on campus. Both events were located near Tommy Trojan, and several hundred people were gathered in Hahn Plaza around 12:30 p.m. The march relocated across the plaza to the front of the Traveler horse statue and fountain.
The janitors are backed by SEIU United Service Workers West. According to SEIU Communications Coordinator Sebastian Silva, the union listens to their demands and helps them communicate with the company. Silva said they are adamant on finding a solution fast.
“We’re hoping that the contractor and the university agree on those demands, and that way workers can get back to work under a new contract instead of working under an expired contract,” Silva said.
Janitors work in shifts starting at 3 a.m. and run throughout the day, with the final shift ending at 6 a.m. the following morning.
Contreras is entering her 20th year as a janitor at USC, and said she does not think the company appreciates the sacrifices she and her colleagues make.
“They don’t know or see what the people sacrifice. I feel like they’re not considering that,” she said. “There’s always an Aramark employee here giving it their all, making sure that the students come to a clean campus, clean classrooms, clean bathrooms.”
Annenberg Media reached out to Aramark’s vice president of strategic communications on Monday but did not receive a response.
In a statement to Annenberg Media, USC PR wrote “We respect the negotiation process occurring between Aramark and its bargaining unit members. We wish the parties the best as they work to reach an agreement.”
Their group reached their goal to give the vice president a petition signed by the janitors in attendance, outlining their demands in the new contract.
The janitors hope to meet with the company tomorrow to reach an agreement.
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrected attributed Sebastian Silva as Sebastian Stein. The story has been changed to reflect this correction on March 3 at 5:20 p.m. Annenberg Media regrets this error.