University of Miami President Donna Shalala's gardeners go on strike

Yes we cane ^ | March 2006 | Staff

[summer]

Pedro Vale


Luis Jael

Pedro Vale is a landscaper and gardener employed by the contractor UNNICO on the campus of the University of Miami.  His job is unique because he takes care of University President Donna Shalala's residence.  Vale has worked full-time at Shalala's house for more than two years, makes $8.59 an hour and has no benefits.  He's forced to work a second job to make ends meet.  He cuts the grass, plants and cares for flowers and trees, and other tasks.

Vale is not tending to Shalala's flowers today, however.  Today he is on strike.

"We need a union because our salaries are too low for the cost of living," he says.  Vale is paid so little that he is forced to choose between basic necessities like paying for medicine for his wife and paying the rent.  "If I saw Donna Shalala in the garden I'd tell her we have nothing personally against her, and please support us in this struggle to form a union so we can have a decent standard of living. We are trying to improve things, but our company is committing unfair practices against us. That's why we have to strike."

Luis Jaen is also a landscaper and gardener on the well-manicured grounds Shalala's Presidential residence in Coral Gables. He's been working for UNICCO full-time for more than 5 years yet only makes $8.76 an hour with no benefits.  He works hard to make the begonias, the bromeliads, the red sisters and so many other flowers look beautiful in her garden, but today he's on strike because he wants to be able to freely form a union without UNICCO interfering.

"If I saw Donna Shalala I'd tell her that we need her support because we sincerely need health insurance.  I have high blood pressure and problems with my circulation.  I'm also missing many teeth and need dentures but I can't pay for a dentist - $600 for each tooth! Where am I going to get that on my salary?"

[summer]

The janitors at the University of Miami, a private school, have also gone on strike.

[summer]

FYI.

[MineralMan]

I wondered what Donna Shaneyney got up to.

[FreePaul]

What does he make on his second job. Why doesn't he get a job that pays more? Since he is being paid indirectly by the taxpayers the obvious solution is to just pay him more money. After all, taxes can always be raised to make up the difference.

[lawdude]

Ahhh, yes. Dems...the party of compassion and feelings.

Ballad of the Blue Dress

He was feeling hers,
She was feeling his.
She flirted,
He squirted,
And the blue dress was born!

[mcvey]

Ping

[summer]

This does not look good for Donna Shalala:

...Janitors at the campus earn as little as $6.40 an hour and are not provided with health insurance. University President Donna Shalala has come under fire by a growing coalition of students, faculty, religious leaders, and community activists for not doing more to head off the strike by ensuring that UNICCO respects workers' right to organize for a living wage and affordable health insurance, free from intimidation.

Janitors at the University of Miami, most of whom are immigrants from Cuba, Haiti and South America, earn some of the lowest wages for campus janitors in the country. Unionized janitors who work for the same company in other cities earn higher wages and are provided health insurance. At Harvard University in Boston, UNICCO janitors earn between $13 and $14 an hour and have fully paid health insurance. But they didn't always. Janitors won the higher wages and benefits as the result of a two-year campaign on their behalf by students, the community, and SEIU.

As Miami-Dade's largest single employer, the University of Miami has a special obligation to be a leader in the fight against poverty. Yet, the university's policies have actually increased Miami-Dade's poverty rate. In an already poor city, janitors at the University of Miami are some of the poorest, earning as little as $13,104 a year, less than half the county median.

Wages are low, and benefits almost nonexistent for campus janitors, because cleaning contractors have to bid the work. Responsible contractors who pay higher wages and provide affordable health benefits can not possibly compete for work with contractors who do not. That is why university presidents around the country have made it a priority to only hire responsible contractors for their campuses. The result has been for contractors to bid on the quality of their work, rather than driving wages and benefits down. University President Donna Shalala has been unwilling to commit the university to funding higher wages and affordable health insurance for the UNICCO janitors....

[boomop1]

Too funny for words.

[whitedog57]

Typical liberal. Yells and screams about worker's rights and wage, but fails to give any if its their pocketbook.

Oh, I get it. The REST OF US should support this guy.

[summer]

Ahhh, yes. Dems...the party of compassion and feelings.

They are rarely into finding solutions, it seems. Not exactly the "problem-solving" party.

[zarf]

CANES BUMP!

[mcvey]

Just imagine what Donna would be saying if these were gardners for some large private company!

McVey

[Miss Marple]

Well, now, isn't this interesting? I bet Ms. Shalala has health insurance and probably makes sure the professors do as well. I guess those "little people" just aren't as important.

[fuquadukie]

$8.59 to take care of flowers. Boohoohoo. Learn English, get a skill, get a better job. Just what we need... unionized gardners. Not that I'm standing up for Shalala or UM.

[cowtowney]

With more than 10,000 full- and part-time faculty and staff, UM is the largest PRIVATE employer in Miami-Dade County.

[Tzimisce]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

First Hollywood has to pay taxes on Oscar goody bags and now the Communists at a university are treating their underlings like crap! This is a good weekend. :)

[Rebelbase]

"Learn English"

Why? He lives in Miami and no one speaks english there anymore.

[MineralMan]

"Since he is being paid indirectly by the taxpayers the obvious solution is to just pay him more money."

Uh...no. University of Miami is a private university. He's not being paid by the taxpayers.

[geezerwheezer]

Tell Hillary's good friend to cut her own darn grass. The beast might work off some of that baby fat she has and get in a better mood. "Big Donna" is a real anti-American Armed Forces type who said all the Viet Nam vets were the "dregs of society." Well this is one of her "dregs" who says she is full of it and should just STFU and go cut grass or something useful.

[jocon307]

Let's cut to the chase: Bush's fault!