30 Foot Giant Rat to Make Debut at University of Miami Football Game Today

Rat Puts spotlight on Poverty Wages at University

MIAMI, Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- A 30 foot giant rat with the message
"UM Janitors' Poverty Wages PLAGUE Miami" will make its premier debut
at today's game in Miami.

Janitors at the University of Miami, most of whom are Cuban,
Nicaraguan and Haitian refugees, earn as little as $51 a day and most
are not provided with health insurance. Wages are so low; many
families earn less than the federal poverty level. In fact, in a 2001
survey of wages conducted by the Chronicle of Higher Education, the
University of Miami was the second lowest- paying institution
surveyed. They are employed by UNICCO, a Boston-based janitorial
services company.

The current contractor culture in Miami rewards those who pay the
least and skimp the most to become the lowest bidder and punishes
those who want to raise standards. This "race to the bottom culture"
only adds to the growing poverty in Miami and to the already over
burdened health care system in Florida.

It doesn't have to be that way. In other cities, where contractors
must compete on the basis of quality of service rather than low wages,
UNICCO is able to pay considerably more, as much as $14 an hour and
provide fully paid health insurance.

Last month, University of Miami students and workers appealed to
President Donna Shalala, asking her to only use contractors who act
responsibly and pay their employees a decent wage with health
insurance.

WHAT: 30 Foot Rat

WHO: Janitors and UM Students

WHERE: 7th Street NW between 14th and 15th Avenues

WHEN: 5:30 pm -8 pm

For more information about the campaign go to www.yeswecane.org SOURCE
Service Employees International Union

-0- 11/19/2005

/CONTACT: Renee Asher of Service Employees International Union,
+1-786-252-2369/

/Web site: http://www.seiu.org

http://www.yeswecane.org /