Here’s what is boils down to: the lives of Mirna Blanco, Flora Aguliar, Irma Deshommes, Martina Casey and Amanda Figueroa. Each of these SEIU workers has been locked in battles with employers. Mirna and Flora are janitors in Houston (see left here standing–Mirna on the left and Flora on the right–with their SEIU organizer). Mirna cleans offices in a 47-story skyscraper, and in 4.5 hours she has to clean desks, dust, take out garbage and mop kitchens for 40 offices. Flora speaks of the mistreatment and humiliation the janitors suffer.

Mira’s building went out on strike against the building contractor, ABM, which is one of five national contractors that controls 72 percent of the city’s janitorial market. The strike went on for 1.5 weeks–and the workers won card check neutrality throughout the city at all of the five contractors.

The other three women (see pic, from left, Amanda, Irma and Martina) work in other cities. Amanda in Los Angeles doing home care, Irma has been a janitor for 30 years in Chicago and Martina is a child care provider in Illinois. It took Amanda 13 years to get union recognition and a first contract took another year. But, the contract boosted the basic wages to $9.50 per hour with health benefits.

Irma’s co-workers are going to be fighting for sick days in the upcoming contract because their contract already includes health care, 5 weeks vacation, paid holidays and a pension–and wages of $14.10–far better than the Houston workers who are still trying to get a union. So, there in a nutshell is the picture of union versus non-union.

One thing to add: Irma has already been to Houston twice to help in the organizing efforts. “When I found out what they are going through, I didn’t think that was fair. In the union, you are family, you do whatever you can.” Maybe it sounds corny but it came out as quite genuine from her.