One haughty university down...

... many to go. Mazel tov to our sisters and brothers in Miami. Remember, folks, this is still not over. Because of the sad way american labor policy is structured, an organizing drive is not VICTORIOUS until there's a contract signed, so stay tuned and ready to continue this fight until the first contract is signed.

And we've still got fights on our hands at UVA, where the workers and students are still fighting for a living wage for all UVA employees, and at NYU, where the graduate employees are still fighting to be recognized again, after NYU president sexton's serious case of advanced alzheimers (behold, a new pharoah who didn't know shit).

Still, great news eminating from my least favorite state, where on a momentus May Day 2006, the Janitors and Groundskeepers of UM finally achieved card-check neutrality. From our sisters and brothers at Picketline:

We've won!!!!!

That's right, folks. It was announced this afternoon, at around 5pm, that UNICCO and SEIU have signed an agreement that will allow the workers to decide whether they want a union by means of a card check recognition process. Here are the bare bones of what was decided:

• The agreement establishes a code of conduct governing how both the employer and the union will interact with the workers during the process. Both sides agree not to interfere with workers' decision whether or not to form a union.
• A neutral, independent organization, the American Arbitration Association, will verify the results of the process to determine whether or not a supermajority of UNICCO janitors at the University of Miami wish to form a union.
• Once AAA has independently verified that a supermajority of 60% of the janitors working for UNICCO have signed cards saying they want to form a union with SEIU, UNICCO has agreed to recognize (on the very same day) SEIU as the janitors' union.
• Janitors have until August 1, 2006 to demonstrate a supermajority.
• The agreement covers 410 janitors working for UNICCO on the campus of the University of Miami and UM's Jackson Memorial Hospital.
• The striking janitors will return to work Wednesday, May 3, 2006.
• Zoila Mursuli, the janitor union leader who had been fired by UNICCO, will be reinstated immediately. She will receive backpay for the weeks after she was fired before her co-workers went on strike.

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Yeah UM workers! Congratulations on your hard fought victory. You're an insipriation to all of us.