‘No one thinks about them’: janitors get organized in south Florida

A workforce largely composed of immigrants and women of color is fighting to organize a union after facing low wages, poor conditions and lax safety protections during the pandemic

Janitors in Florida are fighting to organize a union through the Justice for Janitors campaign as the predominantly immigrant and women of color workforce have faced severely low wages, poor working conditions and lax safety protections during the pandemic.

Building off union victories for janitors at the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University in 2006, and more recent organizing wins at Miami international airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood international airport, workers are now fighting to organize janitors in south Florida's lucrative commercial real estate industry.