One hundred janitors and supporters marched and set up a permanent encampment on the sidewalk in front of Cisco Systems’ corporate headquarters in San Jose, California, to protest the firing of more than 75 low-wage janitors. The janitors, many of whom are said to be single mothers, cannot pay their rent for the month of May, and are instead camping in front of Cisco until the company orders its contractor American Building Management (ABM) to reinstate them.
In contrast to the massive layoffs of maintenance staff, Cisco CEO John Chambers has publicly boasted about the company’s excellent fiscal health and “aggressive” expansion amidst the economic crisis. Cisco currently has $34 billion in cash on hand — more than any other technology company, according to the New York Times — and has acquired about 35 smaller companies in the past four years. Chambers received more than $11 million in compensation in 2008.
Dozens of janitors who remain on the job at Cisco also joined their coworkers at the camp. These janitors expressed concerns about their higher workloads and health and safety in the face of the massive layoffs.
For more information on the janitors’ camp visit CiscoInhumaNetwork.com.
Originally posted on May 1, 2009 @ 10:53 am