Bread and Roses Page #4

Dear Ma, I moved into

a new office today.

But Iife isn't so good at home.

It's impossible to find

good servants these days...

Iet alone a good cook.

I also need

someone to walk the dog.

I m having to send

my chauffeur, Hector...

into the city to pick you up.

He has strict orders to Iock you

in the trunk if you misbehave.

-Maya?

-Here.

Maya, come quick.

Perez is mad, he 's pissed off...

...and he wants us downstairs now.

-Now?

Right now.

We have enough problems.

You think you're pretty

f***ing smart, don 't you?

Don't you? Pretty f***ing smart.

You didn 't think we 'd find out

about your little f***ing meeting?

You know what?

We're f***ing smarter than you.

What 's this I got

in my back pocket?

Anybody seen this before?

Look at it!

Media. Where the f*** you think

you are, the White House?

You know what?

Join the Union...

and they'll take 20% off

your f***ing check.

Join the Union, and they'll

check your f***ing papers.

You got lmmigration.

Join the Union.

They'll make your

f***ing life difficult.

Look at me.

Look at me!

No f***ing Union, right?

Right?

And let me tell you this,

if we catch any of you...

talking to those motherfuckers,

we got security...

we got surveillance cameras

everywhere, you can get out of here.

Try it.

Now get back to work.

Get out of here! I don 't wanna

f***ing see you guys!

-Do we go back to work?

-Go back to work, get out of here.

Back to work!

You still gotta finish on time.

Get out of here!

That 's what I think

of your f***ing flyer!

Get the f*** out of here.

I don't wanna see you guys.

Berta.

One minute, please.

Sit down.

-How are you?

-Fine.

Three and a half floors.

It's hard.

Three and a half floors is tough.

Takes it out of you.

How about a vacation?

Would you like that?

-Yes, I 'd love that.

-Take a week off.

-Full pay. US$ 12,50 an hour.

-That 's nice!

-ls it swell?

-lt's swell!

-With insurance.

-That too??

In the company

we have new contracts.

There'll be lots of work.

We'll need people

who we can really trust.

A lot of confidence.

-How'd you like to be asupervisor?

-Me?

I 'd like it.

I would try to do my best.

You 've been here many years now.

-How many?

-17 years.

You think you

could be a supervisor??

Yes, I could.

That 's all I wanted to know.

Thanks.

Sit down again.

One thing.

Who organized

the meeting with the Union?

Who was it, Berta?

Do you know?

Can you tell me who it was?

Come in.

-What 's wrong?

-What 's wrong?

What is this?

-What is this?

-Don 't you remember?

It 's three in the morning.

I don 't know.

You left it in the basement...

and Perez found it.

-The supervisor.

-Oh, no!

Have you any ideawhat is like

to have this guy on our back?

Can I ask you something?

What do you risk?

How much do you get paid?

US$ 22,250.

-What happened? Were you fired?

-No.

They fired Berta.

Sh*t.

They wanted to know

who organized the meeting.

But she wouldn 't tell them.

I feel very stupid. I feel...

I don't know, I f***ed up.

Yeah, I know, but...

she has all her

family in El Salvador...

and she 's sent them her money,

all her money for them...

since 17 years ago.

She was saving money

for her daughter 's wedding.

-She has not seen her for 5 years.

-I 'm sorry.

-You don't understand.

-Easy, we 're gonna work it out.

Do you wanna a drink?

I don 't know what else

to offer you now, I 'm sorry.

Yes, thanks.

Good, because I need one.

Here. Sit down.

Thanks.

It 's not great, but it does work.

Thanks.

I 'm sorry.

Don 't see Rosa

for the rest of your life.

She is ready to cut your balls off.

That 's nice.

Yes, she 's a tough one.

Sometimes...

I...

get scared...

everything is going to go wrong.

Sometimes l...

think...

what is going to happen with me.

And...

I don't have an answer.

I'm afraid.

Please.

Thanks.

That 's our rights...

He's watching us.

If he says something, we talk

about what we had for lunch.

Okay, let 's go guys.

Okay, let 's go. Let 's go.

Hey, where the f*** you

think you 're going?

-We 're going for a walk.

-We 're gonna get "burritos".

-lt 's lunch break.

-Bullshit! Get your asses in there.

No, I don 't think so. Lunch time

is our time, you can 't keep us in.

-Who the f*** said so?

-Who? Says the law. The court!

If you can read this judgement...

Bullshit. Do you wanna read that?

Look. Read that.

-We all got our copies.

-Bullshit, Oscar.

-I don 't give a f*** what you have.

-Read it. Read it.

Just read it. Read it carefully.

It 's our right to organize.

-Okay?

-This is bullshit!

-We got an attorney.

-You got an attorney?

We got an attorney

to tell us what we can do.

Let 's go. Hurry up.

Let 's go!

-Don 't talk like that, man.

-A lot of troublemakers, man.

Rosa, where are you going?

-Come on, Rosa!

-Take your f***ing hands off me!

What are you doing??

What is this sh*t, Freddy?

What the f*** is this?

I don 't know.

Restrain and "corsed".

-What?

-"Coarsed".

-Where?

-What 's that word right there?

-Coerced.

-"Coerced"?

Is that good?

No, I don 't think so.

F***!

...sent father Gregorio, from the

church Pico Union.

We are here tonight to send

avery strong message...

to all these building owners.

The janitors in this city

are getting ready to fight.

We'll do whatever it takes to have

better working conditions in here.

Especially buildings

like this one behind you...

cleaned by a non-Union company

that don 't give workers rights.

Yeah, that 's it.

It 's a pleasure to be with you now.

I have great news for you.

For the first time...

we have non-union

janitors from building 646.

Guys, I 'd like you to come up and

introduce yourselves. Come on up.

We can do it!

We can do it!

Good evening.

I'm very happy

to be here this night.

And I'm very glad to hear and to see

that here are some students...

to see other workers

from other unions.

All this reminds me

of something that...

sometimes we forget.

We have always got...

more strength than we realize.

Always!

I learned that in my country...

when I organized students,

peasants, workers...

back there in El Salvador.

But sometimes life is very hard.

Sometimes you lose

someone you love...

your family, a friend...

then you have

to come to this country...

and sometimes

you can become sad...

angry...

upset, frightened...

or you even lose hope.

I feel the hope back...

now that I 'm here with you.

And I thank you for that.

Justice! Now!

Janitors together

will never be defeated!

We're trying to fight for a decent

wage for these people.

Mr. Griffin. Hi.

You're the building manager

for 646, right??

-Yeah. Do I know you??

-No, but I know who you are.

-What the hell is going on??

-Let me ask you something.

Can you survive

on US$ 5,75 an hour??

Because that 's what the janitors

at your building get.

You know what?? I don 't hire the

janitors and I don 't pay them.

So therefore I suggest that you

take this up with their employers...

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