Janitors are Struggling for Justice at Cisco Systems!

Janitors and their supporters are demanding that the profitable high-tech company revoke layoffs of vulnerable, low-wage service workers.

Cisco Systems' janitorial contractor American Building Management (ABM) has laid off more than 40 percent of its janitorial workforce, or 75 janitors since February.

Many of the laid-off janitors are immigrants and mothers, who are being forced to choose between buying food and paying rent. And janitors that remain on the job at Cisco are being forced to shoulder higher workloads that threaten their health and safety.

Meanwhile, Cisco has continued to be an immensely profitable company:

- Cisco CEO John Chambers was paid more than $11 million dollars in 2008. - The company currently has $34 billion in cash on hand.

- Cisco has acquired about 35 smaller companies in the past four years and is now poised to acquire dozens more.

- Cisco was named the world?s fourth most profitable technology company by Fortune magazine in April.

By targeting low-wage service workers for layoffs while protecting its enormous profits, Cisco is putting corporate greed ahead of the common good.

To protest the company's forcing the burden of the economic recession onto the backs of vulnerable, low-wage service workers, the janitors have launched a series of escalating mobilizations. They are calling on the company to:

- Direct ABM to immediately reinstate all 75 laid-off janitors.

- Meet with the janitors and representatives of their union, SEIU-United Service Workers West, to begin a discussion about how to raise standards for other contracted service workers, such as security officers, in Silicon Valley.

- Address the janitors' health and safety concerns and commit to using safe, green cleaning chemicals in its buildings.

- Ensure that all of Cisco's subcontractors are responsible companies that pay decent wages, offer quality, affordable health care, and allow their workers the freedom to form unions.

For more information and regular updates on the janitors struggle, please visit http://www.justiceatcisco.com