UM Students/ Faculty March with Striking UNICCO Workers to Protest Unfair Labor Practices
by Peter Graves-Goodman Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 at 10:13 PM

In an unexpected swell of community activism hundreds of students, faculty, workers and community leaders marched on Friday, March 3rd in support of maintenance employees who are on strike to demand better respect for the UNICCO workers and to send a message to the UM President, that Poverty is Not A Cane Value.

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Donna Shalala and the University have tried to keep the janitors at the University of Miami invisible by limiting where they could be seen on strike on campus. But they refused to be invisible! Instead, more than a hundred workers marched through Coral Gables to the Episcopal Church on campus where they were met by faculty and clergy who spoke to the strikers about the tremendous support for their cause on campus.

> The University of Miami and you can make a difference in the lives of hundreds of Miami families by requiring contractors who work on campus to respect their employees' rights, and pay them a decent wage and provide health affordable health insurance.

Every day UNICCO employees diligently protect, preserve, and clean the University of Miami campus, from the dorms to the football field. Unfortunately, these employees are working in conditions that University of Miami Law School Professor Richard Fischl says "ought to shock and embarrass the entire South Florida community."

Instead of doing something, University of Miami President Donna Shalala and her administration have simply ignored the issue by saying that it's not their problem and that the University would "remain neutral throughout the process" of workers seeking union representation and would not "raise any questions about their [service contractors'] business."

Write to Donna Shalala and tell her to support justice for campus workers at this link: http://seiuaction.org/campaign/miamiaction and/ or Sign the Petition in Support of UNICCO employees at the University of Miami at this link: http://www.petitiononline.com/UMStand/petition.html

> Check out the UM PICKETLINE BLOG http://picketline.blogspot.com/
ON FEBRUARY 28, 2005, THE JANITORS AND GROUNDSKEEPERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI WENT ON STRIKE TO PROTEST UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE WITH THEIR RIGHT TO ORGANIZE. THIS IS HOW THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY HAS ANSWERED. THIS IS THE VIRTUAL PICKET LINE OF FACULTY, STUDENTS, AND STAFF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI. SEE THE PICKETLINE BLOG AT http://picketline.blogspot.com/

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30 sec Video of UM Student/ Faculty Protest March
by Peter Graves-Goodman Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 at 10:13 PM

video: MPEG at 6.1 mebibytes

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Clergy getting ready to march with UNICCO workers..
by Peter Graves-Goodman Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 at 10:13 PM

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Faculty members raise the fist in support of UNICCO workers.
by Peter Graves-Goodman Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 at 10:13 PM

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Jake Coker-Dukowitz, STAND-UM leader, preps students for the march.
by Peter Graves-Goodman Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 at 10:13 PM

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UM student message sends the message loud and clear.
by Peter Graves-Goodman Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 at 10:13 PM

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UM students marching in protest.
by Peter Graves-Goodman Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 at 10:13 PM

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UM faculty also marching.
by Peter Graves-Goodman Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 at 10:13 PM

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In support of the workers union SEIU Local 11
by Peter Graves-Goodman Sunday, Mar. 05, 2006 at 10:13 PM

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