‘We’re trying to survive’: workers face cuts as US public sector lags in recovery

Working in US public sector feels untenable for many amid lack of benefits, low pay and lack of general investment

Mopping, sweeping, waxing floors, trash removal, sanitizing, scrubbing bathrooms and cleaning student apartments.

For $10.65 an hour, Nelly Nunez and Pamala Greathouse have worked as janitorial custodians at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque through the pandemic as essential workers, facing extra workloads, understaffing and Covid-19 safety concerns, while struggling to make ends meet on low pay.