Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.KQED's Juan Carlos Lara and Spencer Whitney contributed reporting to this story.

Workers say the layoffs have resulted in increased and excessive workloads for those who remain. While workers don’t contest that, they argue the recent layoffs with no advance warning fly in the face of Meta’s rhetoric during that time, when the Facebook parent company regarded its janitorial staff as essential and valued workers. Meta pointed out in a statement that they worked to ensure workers were paid throughout the pandemic, even when offices were shut down. I want respect because when you have respect and love, everything goes more smooth.' As part of their negotiations, striking janitors are calling for their former co-workers who were laid off to be rehired. 'I keep my fingers crossed to see my brothers and sisters come back. Garcia said she also misses her co-workers who were let go.

Janitor Maria Garcia said her duties more than doubled after SBM began laying off employees, and as a single mother she struggles to be apart from her children for so long. Janitorial workers from two SEIU chapters, SEIU-USWW and SEIU Local 87, are striking in solidarity with each other. The crowd of largely Latinx workers shouted labor chants like, 'Arriba la union, abajo la explotación' (which in English means, 'Up with the union, down with exploitation') and 'SBM, escucha, estamos en la lucha' ('SBM, listen, we are in the fight'). 'We will stand up to each and every form of corporate harassment and continue to intensify the fight for safe working conditions, as well as dignity and respect for Meta’s cleaning workers,” Huerta told striking workers at a rally on Friday outside Meta’s Burlingame offices.

David Huerta, SEIU-USWW president, addresses the crowd outside a Meta store in Burlingame, on Oct. Miranda also said that despite the win at Meta, similar efforts to reduce janitorial staff are still happening at other tech companies, where her union is working to organize more workers. “For us it’s a victory when you can tell workers that they can go back to their jobs, and that's a big win for us,” said Olga Miranda, president of SEIU Local 87. As employers, like Meta and SBM look ahead, it is critical they remember that USWW members' work has always been - and will continue to be - essential and that workers deserve jobs with dignity.'

'We also thank them for intervening and working towards a resolution with the site contractor, SBM. 'We thank Meta for listening to workers' demands for safer working conditions and covering wages and benefits for workers during the pandemic,' David Huerta, president of SEIU-USWW, said in a statement. The downsizing effort resulted in increased and excessive workloads for remaining employees, and fewer unionized workers, SEIU-USWW said in a statement. Workers went on strike last week after more than 120 janitors were laid off by SBM. 'We also wanted to make sure the workload for the remaining workers is sustainable,' he added. The agreement that was reached on Sunday night with SBM Management, the contractor that handles Meta’s janitorial services, includes severance pay and health care for impacted workers, Silva said.

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