During the early morning hours of President Donald Trump’s Inauguration Day, January 20, janitors that clean Home Depot and other stores in the Twin Cities went on strike against their cleaning contractor. The workers gathered at Home Depot at the Quarry in Northeast Minneapolis to protest what they call poverty wages.
Hosted by Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL), the strike was also in reaction to the two founders of Home Depot reportedly donating millions to the Trump campaign. According to protesters, Home Depot uses the “Trump model” of business for its janitorial services — a model that exploits immigrant workers. In addition to a wage increase, the workers are also calling for the right to form a union without retaliation.
This was one of the first of many protests planned both locally and nationally against the inauguration and the proposed policies of President Donald Trump.
Caption by Chris Juhn. Photos by Chris Juhn except where noted.
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