As famed racehorse California Chrome was being readied on Saturday for the Belmont Stakes in New York State, here in Golden Gate Fields racetrack north of Berkeley, several dozen workers and union supporters rallied at the entrances, to take advantage of a day when the grandstand would fill with thousands of people.
Despite a much heavier workload, the unionized workforce of 17 janitors has not had a wage increase in six years. They are in the midst of difficult contract negotiations.
I worked grooming horses many years ago at Golden Gate Fields as a 20-year-old. I wanted to show solidarity with them, so I went to the track to meet up with the union sisters and brothers.
As cars drove into the grounds, members of the Service Employees International Union Local 1877 — SEIU — handed out flyers to the public. They were supported by members of the Laborers and UNITE Local 2850.
I asked three SEIU members who work at the track about their janitorial jobs.
Denise Pérez: “I’ve worked here eight years. A subcontractor came in here two years ago, and ever since, it has been downhill. We have had our hours cut..
“Also, with our Health and Welfare, we are paying approximately $130 a week out of pocket. We are hardly taking anything home.”
Isaac Pérez, more than 25 years at the racetrack: “We do janitorial work in the whole facility, from the barn area to the racetrack to the main buildings. We are now 17 workers doing what 26 or 27 were doing before.”
Rene Marroquin has worked there for 25 years. He spoke of the favoritism of the new company’s management. “Six of their family, they made them all foremen.”
There is a lot of union support on the track. Isaac: “We are getting support from the security, the laborers, the catering, the bartenders, the food stand people, and the valets, the ones that saddle the horses.”
Tony Evans is the union rep for UNITE Local 2850, “for the service workers, food stands, cooks, all the waiters and bussers. We are in negotiations with the racetrack and they are not negotiating in good faith.”
“I’m here to show solidarity with the janitors. … Our contract expired in 2011, and we still don’t have a new contract. The only thing they say is takeaways, we just want to keep what we have. … Half of the
workers only work 6 hours. Now they want them to pay all their healthcare. It’s impossible.”
Racetrack work is hard work. But in the midst of company cutbacks, the hope for the workers is their fight-back spirit.
Any last words to the public? Isaac Pérez said, “The only thing I can say is go to GoldenGateFields.com and write the company, say that you support us on what is going on.”
