Over 300 demonstrators took to the streets of downtown Providence Monday to advocate for a higher minimum wage and better conditions for local service workers. The demonstration was organized by a coalition of labor organizations, including Justice for Janitors, the Service Employees International Union Local 615, which represents the University's food service workers, and Brown's Student Labor Alliance.
Following a half-hour rally that featured remarks from Providence City Council President John Lombardi and local labor and community leaders, the crowd marched out of Kennedy Plaza toward Exchange Street. Participants then veered right onto Francis Street, stopping traffic where Memorial Boulevard travels past the Providence Place Mall.
A group of about 30 demonstrators sat in the middle of the busy intersection while the remaining participants gathered around them. Eventually, the standing demonstrators moved to nearby street corners, while the sitting participants remained in the middle of the intersection.
Though there was some resistance, demonstrators eventually complied with officers' requests to leave the intersection and no charges were filed, according to Francisco Cendejas, who handled press inquiries for the event on behalf of the SEIU. No one was arrested, though some protesters were detained and then immediately released, he added.
"I guess the police just decided it would be more expedient to let them go and not press any charges," Cendejas said.
The demonstration concluded after participants walked through the skyway bridging the Providence Place Mall to the Westin Providence Hotel, Cendejas said.
Monday's demonstration was part of the larger Justice for Janitors campaign, which was recently launched in Providence. Roxana Rivera, the event's lead organizer, said participants are concerned that downtown revitalization projects negatively affect local service workers and do not benefit Providence neighborhoods.
"Janitors and hotel workers do not have a voice on the job," Rivera said. "We are going to be stressing the importance of having one Providence, where hard work is rewarded and all neighborhoods can thrive." Rivera, who came to Rhode Island last year, has 10 years of experience working on Justice for Janitors campaigns in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.
Luis Lopez, an immigrant from Guatemala who arrived in Providence two years ago, said he attended the demonstration to advocate for a higher minimum wage and "respect for the work that we do."
Lopez works as a janitor at 50 Kennedy Plaza from 5 to 10 p.m. each night. His other job at a bakery requires him to work from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m.
"As a worker we fight for other people who don't have a union," he said through an interpreter. While non-unionized workers earn Rhode Island's minimum wage of $6.75, unionized employees earn $7.50 "at the very least," he said.
Though Lopez acknowledged that the difference may seem small to some, "if it's for their families, it's worth it to fight," he said. "For them it's not much, but it could help us so much."
Many janitors in downtown Providence, as well as others employed in service industries, work multiple jobs for minimum wage, Rivera said. Moreover, the unstable nature of service jobs makes these workers - many of whom are immigrants - vulnerable to unemployment, thereby harming their families and communities, she said.
Janitorial work is often subcontracted out, Rivera said. When building owners switch contractors, janitors are "basically let go and the new janitorial company brings on new people," she said. "Janitors can be notified the same day that they don't have a job."
George Nee, secretary-treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, addressed this problem in his remarks during the rally, saying, "We're going to make sure that if the owner of that building switches contractors, you don't lose your job."
Rocio Saenz, president of SEIU Local 615, served as master of ceremonies for the rally. SEIU Local 615 represents over 60,000 service workers from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. The union is also part of the Change to Win Coalition, a group of unions that has separated from the AFL-CIO to "bring together the strong principles of a moving labor movement," Saenz told The Herald.
Beyond educating the public, campaign leaders hope the demonstration showed local officials that "there is a strong commitment here in Providence among our unions and community organizations," Rivera said.
"Unions don't get what they deserve," said Ray Hill, a Providence resident who has worked as a health club attendant at the Westin Providence for six years. "Management's always trying to shortchange us, and I don't think that's fair."
During a brief speech at the rally, Lombardi challenged the notion that the national labor movement is plagued with infighting.
"If you follow the media today, they talk about divisiveness" in the labor movement, Lombardi said. "But let me tell you, when you look around here today, they are dead wrong."
Trevor Stutz '07 said he decided to attend the demonstration after hearing about it from the Student Labor Alliance. "It's good to see so many people come out to support the workers," he said. "It's easy to get isolated up on (College Hill)."
Justice for Janitors has already made some progress in improving janitors' unstable employment conditions. On Aug. 25, the City Council passed an ordinance that would require new contractors to keep the same janitors for at least 90 days before hiring new ones. This marked the second passage of the ordinance, which will now go before Mayor David Cicilline '83 for approval, Rivera said.
"At this point, we don't know what (Cicilline) is going to do," Rivera said.
