<HTML dir=ltr><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=unicode"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.5730.11" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <DIV id=idOWAReplyText89347 dir=ltr> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2><A href="http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_2852">http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_2852</A></FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr> <H6 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">Janitors, supporters crash country club breakfast</H6> <DIV>By Steve Share</DIV><SPAN id=date>18 January 2007</SPAN> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 10px">GOLDEN VALLEY - About 40 members and supporters of the Twin Cities janitors union crashed a breakfast meeting of building owners Thursday morning at the Golden Valley Country Club, asking the building owners to intervene in the janitors' contract negotiations with cleaning companies.</TD></TR> <TR> <TD vAlign=top> <P>Local 26 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents 4,200 Twin Cities janitors, has been deadlocked in negotiations with the cleaning companies. The janitors contract expired Dec. 31. <BR><BR>Just as this morning's meeting of the Building Owners and Managers Association was beginning, the group of SEIU supporters rushed into the banquet room and lined all sides of the room, unfurling banners and posters. </P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> <H6 style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">Janitors, supporters crash country club breakfast</H6> <DIV>By Steve Share</DIV><SPAN id=date>18 January 2007</SPAN> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 10px">GOLDEN VALLEY - About 40 members and supporters of the Twin Cities janitors union crashed a breakfast meeting of building owners Thursday morning at the Golden Valley Country Club, asking the building owners to intervene in the janitors' contract negotiations with cleaning companies.</TD></TR> <TR> <TD vAlign=top> <P>Local 26 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents 4,200 Twin Cities janitors, has been deadlocked in negotiations with the cleaning companies. The janitors contract expired Dec. 31. <BR><BR>Just as this morning's meeting of the Building Owners and Managers Association was beginning, the group of SEIU supporters rushed into the banquet room and lined all sides of the room, unfurling banners and posters. </P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr>"We are here today because 4,200 janitors cannot get a meeting with this group," explained the Rev. Doug Mork, representing the Workers Interfaith Network (WIN). "You have the power to make a difference," he urged BOMA members. <BR><BR>The BOMA members sat quietly for a few minutes as members of the SEIU group addressed them. <BR><BR>"Fourteen out of 4,200 janitors have family health care," called out Deborah Rosenstein, SEIU supporter. "United Properties, will you give us a meeting?" <BR><BR>Other group members called out, "United Properties, will you give us a meeting?" <BR><BR>"You can't in justice continue to stand back," said Sister Mary White, a member of WIN. "It's not right. It's not moral." <BR><BR>The banquet room full of building owners and managers sat silent. <BR><BR>Finally, one man rose from his table and replied, "we didn't come here to listen to you guys this morning. We came here to have our BOMA meeting." <BR></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr>[continued at <A href="http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_2852"><FONT face=Arial size=2>http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_2852</FONT></A>   )</DIV></DIV> <DIV id=idSignature11542 dir=ltr><PRE>Stephen Philion Assistant Professor Department of Sociology and Anthropology St. Cloud State University St. Cloud, MN http://stephenphilion.efoliomn2.com/index.asp</PRE></DIV></BODY></HTML>