Whittier, CA — Housekeepers at Whittier College voted today to form a union with SEIU United Service Workers West. The housekeepers at the college—who are contracted by services company Sodexo—have campaigned for two years to form a union with SEIU. Today, they celebrated the overwhelming “yes” vote as a great victory.

“Janitors in Los Angeles have fought to turn poverty level jobs into good jobs,” said Graciela Barrera, a housekeeper at the college for the past 11 years. “We want to do the same. We want to be able to take care of our families and live with some dignity.”

The next step for the contracted housekeepers at the college is to negotiate a first contract with the company. That process will start as soon as possible, according to the union.

The election is the first in the nation under a recently approved national agreement between SEIU and the multinational services company Sodexo.