Janitors Hold Vigil For Colleague Killed By COVID-19

Janitors and security guards of the Seattle area gathered recently to honor a colleague who died due to COVID-19 complications earlier this month.

The janitors and security guards attending the protest expressed concerns with the fact that they are so vulnerable to the pandemic due to their frontline profession, reports KOMO News. Some of those who attended even did so while on shift breaks from their increasingly dangerous job.

One of those in attendance told KOMO News that janitors and security guards don't get the praise that doctors, nurses and grocery store workers have been receiving, even though they're serving on the same frontline. 

Many of those working as janitors and security guards are minorities, a cohort that have been infected more frequently than whites. The people holding these positions also tend to receive lower pay, fewer medical benefits and fewer protections against the pandemic, such as personal protective equipment.

Some have gone up to bat for janitors, custodians and other cleaning professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the Service Employees International Union Local 2 has launched the Invisible to Essential campaign, calling on property owners, managers and cleaning contractors to work together to make immediate improvements to cleaner’s working conditions in Canada.