Workers get union, workers win big

A deal was just announced for the striking janitors in Houston. They have been on strike for about a month. It's a big victory and shows the power of standing together to demand better treatment from employers. SEIU organized the 5300 janitors just last year.

Under today's agreement, the SEIU janitors will get a 50.5 percent pay raise over the two-year contract. On January 1, pay will increase to $6.25 an hour, a 21 percent increase over current wage of $5.15 an hour. That will go up to $7.25 an hour on January 1, 2008, and $7.75 on January 1, 2009.

The deal also gets crazy things like vacation and health care coverage for the workers. It's like they think they are entitled to be treated like human beings or something.

Hopefully this victory will translate into more successful union drives around the country. No one that works full-time should be at the poverty level or without health care coverage.

You can find the rest of the article from the Houston Chronicle here.