March 3: We, the faculty...

Yesterday, Friday March 3, there was a march in support of the striking janitors and groundskeepers. The march was organized by STAND, a student organization that has been doing wonders in this fight. Altogether, around 500 people, including workers, students, faculty, clergy and concerned citizens gathered and marched, shouting and chanting for two and a half hours. It was terrific.

The energy was amazing and the workers were clearly encouraged by the great support shown by students and faculty. We gathered near the School of Communication and proceeded through campus, passing by Ashe (where the shouting got especially loud) to the Rock. We then moved to Eaton Residential Hall and down through the campus to San Amaro. We walked along San Amaro and finally, crossing Ponce, joined the more than a hundred workers who were waiting for us. After some brief speeches, we fronted US 1, walked down to Red Rd and, with the help of the police, crossed Dixie Highway, marched down Red Rd, along Sunset to the front of the Sunset Mall, back up to US1 and so back to campus. Traffic had to be shut down on US1, Red Rd and Sunset. Passing motorists honked in support. It was a truly stirring event and I'm proud to have been a part of it.

Strangely, an event with this many people, shutting down traffic on major roads on a Friday afternoon, did not get so much as a mention in the next day's Miami Herald. Write to them, and demand to know how they missed covering such a major happening (HeraldEd@herald.com). I have just been informed that CBS4 had a brief snippet on us this morning. Otherwise, I don't know of any TV coverage. Write the TV stations too: CBS, NBC at general@nbc6.net, and ABC !!!

Simon Evnine

and here are some enthusiastic supporters of our janitors and groundskeepers among the faculty:

evelina galang, english

steven green, biology

marc brudzinski, foreign languages and literatures

traci ardren, anthropology

michael fischl, law

linda belgrave, sociology