http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 93878.html
Like many of the Houston janitors, Sandoval is an illegal immigrant. She knows some anti-illegal immigration activists say she should ...


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HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Houston & Texas News

Oct. 28, 2006, 11:44PM



Woman's cancer puts face on union strike
Her health care delayed by lack of insurance, janitor wants to help others like her
By SUSAN CARROLL
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Just before 7 a.m., Ercilia Sandoval was trying to coax her daughter Genesis, 8, to stop crying and eat her cereal. The third-grader wanted to go to the hospital with her mom for her chemotherapy appointment, but eventually got ready for school after promises of a stop at Kroger to pick up ghost and goblin cookies for a Halloween party.

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"Mama," Genesis asked, looking up from her cereal, "Are you going to be on TV tonight?"

Sandoval, who quickly has become one of the most visible figures in Houston's janitor strike, was tired from days of chemotherapy treatment and a schedule packed with rallies and press conferences since workers walked off their jobs Monday. Her cause has been widely cited by union organizers as a poignant example of why 5,300 janitors in the city need health benefits and higher wages. And she has told her story to anyone who will listen, sending opinion pieces to such newspapers as the Houston Chronicle and appearing on television.

Sandoval, 42, has worked for one of Houston's largest janitorial companies, GCA Services, for years at $5.25 an hour without health benefits. She was diagnosed with cancer in April after more than a month of dismissing pains in her back and chest. She said she put off a doctor's visit because she had no insurance.

With 15 minutes left before school started, Sandoval wasn't thinking about being on TV. She had to get Genesis and Jennifer, 5, out the door and head to the hospital. She hadn't even had time to put on the honey-hued wig of ringlets she wears to hide the evidence of her chemotherapy.

Genesis, now smiling, was still asking about the TV news.

"I don't know, love," she said. "Eat your breakfast. We're late."



Cancer diagnosed

The father of all six girls, Sandoval's childhood sweetheart, pays the rent. But when her daughters are out of earshot, Sandoval worries about paying the bills, saying she's started claiming food stamps for the girls.

For months, she's been on a public crusade against big janitorial companies. She says they treat their workers like "toilet paper, like they can just use us and throw us away."

"I don't want anybody's pity," she said. "I want these companies to pay people enough to live on. I don't want this to happen to anybody else."

When Sandoval's back pains started, she figured she was just sore from work. The trash cans in the office building had been fuller than usual, the bags heavier. But the aches spread to her chest, and she started feeling nauseated. She went to a health clinic in her neighborhood and was quickly referred to the emergency room.

Sandoval said when she had tests at the hospital in April, the cancer in her left breast was the size of a pinkie nail, and the doctor said she wouldn't need chemotherapy if they moved quickly.

But without insurance, Sandoval said she waited for approval for health care through the state's indigent system for about six weeks, and the cancer spread.

Sandoval's surgery is scheduled for late November. She said the doctor has recommended a mastectomy and possibly removal of the lymph nodes in her left armpit to make sure the cancer doesn't come back.

Publicly, she says she's confident about the strike, sure they'll get a contract with higher wages and health benefits, she says. Privately, she's worried about her health.

"The only thing I'm asking for right now is that God let me see my girls grow up," she said. "That's all."

susan.carroll@chron.com




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HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Houston & Texas News
This article is: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 93878.html