First Boston Strike Brings Benefits To Janitors

By Plamena Pesheva

DOWNTOWN CROSSING – When thousands of Boston-area janitors went on a three-week strike in September 2002, they demanded higher wages and better health care. Almost six years later, while cleaning the Park Street T station, Dominican Republic native Jose Lapaz remembered the strike but was reluctant to speak about his work conditions out of fear for losing job.

In 2002, Unicco, one of the cleaning companies said it would be impractical and unprofitable to give all janitors full-time jobs and health insurance. They did not return phone calls when contacted to comment on the effects of the strike.

John Guzman, Service Employees International Union’s lead organizer of the service center, said conditions for the workers have been improving. They have received full-time jobs and health insurance. The overriding issue in the dispute between the janitor’s union and 30 cleaning companies was health insurance, which was also tied to the demand for full-time jobs. As of Jan. 1, 2009, janitors at 12 bigger buildings will become full-time workers and receive family health insurance.

On Sept. 1, 2007, the union came up with a new contract for the janitors in which they received three sick days per year. He said he hopes by 2012, when the contract expires, the workers get six sick days.

Most of the janitors are immigrants from Latin America. With the 2007 contract, workers have been given a six-month period during which they can renew their work visas, temporary protective status or work authorization before they can return to work. During the period of acquiring legal status, the workers lose their sick days, Guzman said.

Guzman said the 2002 strike has been effective because it was the first strike in Boston and it got attention.

"Workers can have rights on their jobs and be treated with dignity and respect," he said.
He said the strike helped workers get paid $13.25 an hour where as before they earned about $10 an hour.

"I would like to see [janitors] get more sick days," Guzman said. "And if separated from employment, I would like to see them get paid."

Even though the strike helped janitors get more benefits, Guzman said some people were not happy with the changes. He said they wanted higher wages and more sick days.

"For us not to drive industry out of here, we take little pieces at a time," he said.

Guzman said he hopes the new contract will provide more benefits.

"Hopefully the next contract will be a new cake and we’ll go from there," Guzman said.

After The Fall Of The "Green Monster," The Greenway Parks Open

By Plamena Pesheva

DOWNTOWN CROSSING – When the Big Dig tore down the elevated Interstate 93 in 2005, the city started to build the mile-long Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. This spring and summer will be the first test of foot traffic along the area. Businesses have an opportunity to connect the city by attracting new customers to an area long under construction.

The four parks, stretching from the North End to Chinatown, were completed in November 2007, but final touches are still being added.

The cost for the design and construction by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority was $40 million.

"You couldn’t see across the street because of the giant green posts," said Scott Shoer, bar manager of Lobby restaurant on Broad Street. "[The Greenway] is gonna be great for business. It opens up the Financial District to the Waterfront."

He said it will open up tourism by connecting the two areas. Tourists who stay at the hotels, such as the Intercontinental Hotel, along the Waterfront have easy access to the city and more options of things to do.

"It completes the whole package," said Louise Lu, desk receptionist at Intercontinental Hotel. She said since the city finished the construction, she has seen a positive effect. Lu said in the summer she expects visitors to use the parks outside the hotel.

Nancy Brennan, executive director of The Greenway Conservancy, which is responsible for the parks’ maintenance, said the parks are the most important public parks in Boston to open in the last 30 years.

"[The Greenway] visually and physically connects the neighborhoods to the center of the city and the newly cleaned Boston Harbor to Boston’s center," she said. "Public transportation will make all this accessible to the metropolitan residents."

Brennan said local businesses are optimistic about the Greenway. She said when the weather turns warm, the parks and restaurants will be filled with people.

She said the parks are different from others because they are technologically sophisticated. There are five different fountains controlled by four different computer systems. She said the computers control the velocity. They can lower the height of the water when it is windy.

Niamah Murtagh, bartender at Biddy’s Earlys, said she has not seen any changes in business since the construction finished. She hopes more people get to know this part of the city.

Andrea Riahi, a law firm employee on Summer Street, said the parks are beautiful.

"They are nice to come out to and have greenery among the concrete," Riahi said.

Commuter School Builds More Dorms, But Housing Is Still Limited

By Plamena Pesheva

DOWNTOWN CROSSING – The thud of a hammer vibrates through the newly built dorm. At 10 West St., Suffolk University’s third dorm construction continues after students moved in this year for the second semester. Freshmen Victoria Ursch and Yvonne Beaudreau walked by the old elevator up the winding stairs to their second floor room.

"I like it a lot," Beaudreau said. "It is newer and the rooms are bigger."

The new residence was built because of the growing number of students at Suffolk. It accommodates 274 undergraduates in apartments and suites. It has a gym, a lounge area, a pool table, and flat screen TVs in the fitness room and lounge. The top eighth floor, which is still under construction, will be finished for the fall semester.

The commuter school’s first dorm at 150 Tremont St. opened in 1996, and the second one at 10 Somerset St. opened in 2003.

"We lack a lot of housing," Ursch said. She said on-campus housing is only for freshmen and sophomores. Juniors and seniors can be wait listed, but since it is not guaranteed, they have to live off-campus.

After being wait listed, junior Garrett Hauck now lives at 150 Tremont St. Hauck said living in an apartment off-campus can be expensive.


"I think it evens out in the long run," he said.

Students said Suffolk tuition will increase by 7 percent next year. They are unhappy about the high housing prices.

"The problem with Suffolk housing is that it is very, very expensive," sophomore Christina Loridas said. "The food in the in-building cafeterias is also not very good, and the choices are limited."

Ashley Gordon, coordinator for public affairs at Suffolk, said until recently the university hasn’t had enough housing for students. She said they have enough dorms for all the students but they are planning another dorm, the details of which she could not discuss.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority approved the dorm at 10 West St.

"The increased presence of students will add an additional vibrancy to the Downtown Crossing area and provide support for the retail business," the authority said in a statement.

"I like [the new dorm] because we are in the middle of the city," Ursch said.

One proposal by Mayor Thomas M. Menino was to build the dorm in Beacon Hill, but residents objected because of fear it would bring too many students into the residential neighborhood. Instead it was built in the Downtown Crossing area.

"Suffolk students will greatly add to the vitality of this area and ensure that it remains lively at all hours of the day," Menino said. On Jan. 9, 2008, he attended the opening of the dorm. Students were able to move in on Jan. 12, 2008.

"Suffolk got full community support," said Jessica Shumaker, spokeswoman for the BRA.
In a BRA press release, the mayor said he is happy to have the university join the Downtown Crossing community.

Homeless People Are Getting Kicked Out On The Streets

By Plamena Pesheva

DOWNTOWN CROSSING – Jason, 33, sat on the floor by the entrance of the emergency shelter at the Boston Rescue Mission. He was holding a bandage on the right side of his head. He had just gotten stitches but was still bleeding. The night before, at another homeless shelter, he defended a woman from being struck in the head with a brick.

After coming back from duty in Iraq in November 2005, Jason said he started abusing drugs and has been homeless for two years.

"I got back from Iraq and after seeing too many people dying and getting killed I started abusing drugs," Jason said.

The number of homeless people in the city has increased by almost 4 percent since last year. And this year the state Department of Transitional Assistance cut the money for emergency shelters to provide the homeless housing.

Mike Way, director of the Boston Rescue Mission on Kingston Street, said emergency shelters are not part of the city’s budget. What they receive depends on how much money the city has from other programs that could be used for overflow beds. Way said out of the 78 overflow emergency beds at the Rescue Mission, 50 beds will be cut in April.

"It sucks for these guys," Jason said, referring to the people in the emergency homeless shelter.


He is waiting to receive his disabilities benefits from the government. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and knee injuries.

Way said the Department of Transitional Assistance is making an effort to provide permanent housing, but he is unsure if cutting the budget for emergency shelters is the most effective way.


"Hopefully there will be other programs that will make emergency shelters unnecessary," Way said.

John Samman, president of the Boston Rescue Mission, said there is not enough money for housing and other programs.

Five years ago, the Department of Transitional Assistance operated the emergency shelters all year long. The Rescue Mission’s emergency shelter received $20,000 a month for two to three months over the winter. This year the program will last from Dec. 2007 until April 2008 because the city did not want to see people on the streets. The emergency shelter program will be permanently cut on April 15.

According to the homeless census in December, there are 6,901 homeless people in Boston. Compared to the census from 2006 the number of homeless families has increased by 17 percent and children by 21 percent. The number of homeless adults has decreased by almost 5 percent and the street count by 40 percent.

In a statement, Mayor Thomas M. Menino said a decrease in the number of homeless people living in the streets and fewer adults in emergency shelters is because more individuals are in permanent housing.

"This is terrific news," he said. "Housing is the solution to homelessness."

Samaan said the problem with the one day homeless count is that it is inaccurate. According to the 2008 census, the number of homeless individuals has decreased, but Samaan said it might be because the shelter received money two days before the count and people did not have enough time to hear about it and use the facilities. The beds weren’t filled, so the city thought the numbers had decreased.

Samaan said the waiting list for housing is long, which makes it hard to meet all of the demands of the homeless population. He said there is not enough permanent housing for homeless people who have finished self-sufficiency programs.

"There is no one bullet that can end homelessness," Samaan said. "You have to keep on investing in successful programs."