Housekeeping staff an overlooked resource

By: Emily Kidd
Posted In: News

NEWPORT RI-Salve Regina University has an essential but often overlooked resource–the housekeepers who work daily to ensure the cleanliness of all the university’s buildings and constantly interact with the students.

Ilda (who tells this reporter that she doesn’t need a last name because “everyone knows me for Ilda,”)has been a housekeeper at Salve Regina University for four years next month, and likes her job and the people she interacts with. Ilda was born in Portugal and has lived in the United States for 30 years. Ilda started working at Salve after her sister-in-law, who worked here, gave her an application. Ilda remembered being nervous her first day, but had worked in a factory before coming to Salve and now loves her job. After two weeks at Salve Ilda said she was talking to all the girls and everyone she saw. “My boss says I am sunshine and smile and talk to everyone,” she said while hugging a girl who walked by to make her feel better because she had just lost her ring.

Ilda has lived in Fall River, Mass., since she moved to the United States because Newport did not have factories and with her children, three boys and two girls, she needed to work. Ilda said she told her children she likes working at Salve because of the people. “I like to do the bathrooms and hallways because I talk to the girls,” Ilda said.

Ilda admitted that the job can be hard and recalled a Monday morning in the boys’ bathroom. Ilda was training a new woman and they walked into the boys’ bathroom and someone had thrown up. While Ilda said she did not mind and it was part of the job, the other woman decided this job was not for her and quit.

Janitorial staff and specifically housekeepers are an asset to all colleges and universities. Issues dealing with janitorial staff have been the inspiration for many student lead protests across the nation. According to the “Wall Street Journal,” the longest sit-in in Harvard University’s history was done by students who hoped to influence an increase in the janitorial staff’s wages.

A recent strike at nearby Providence College drew attention from Jobs with Justice. Jobs with Justice is an organization with the goal of protecting workers rights. During the Providence College strike, Ricardo Arocha, a member of the class of 2008 said, “that’s what this whole thing has been about: Community. It’s not about protesting, or striking, or sticking it to any man. “the laborer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7), families deserve to be recognized, needs must be met, community must be realized.”

Katherine Stephens, a freshman at Salve Regina, lives in Miley Residence Hall with approximately 40 other freshmen girls and appreciates what the housekeepers do. “You could never pay them enough for what they do, for their friendliness and their service,” Stephens said. “They brighten my morning each day.”

Stephens always talks with whoever happens to be cleaning the bathroom each morning when she goes to brush her teeth, and says that the women are always extremely kind to her and they always seem to be in good spirits.

Stephens said that a good sense of humor is necessary for them or they would never be able to continue working after what Miley can look like at the end of weekend. “It looks like a hurricane hit it,” Stephens said, describing the ViaVia pizza boxes stuck in the pipes that run along the ceiling, the posters and papers strewn throughout the hallway, the empty water bottles from the night before and while cringing mentions how on many occasions there is vomit throughout the bathroom in both the toilets and the sinks.

Becky Bernard, a sophomore resident assistant in Miley Hall, was responsible for approximately 40 girls, shared the bathroom with all of them, unlike many resident assistants. She appreciates the work that the housekeepers do greatly and especially appreciates their positive attitudes.

Bernard referred to two specific women of the housekeeping staff that she found to be especially kind. She saw one of them every morning in McAuley Hall. The woman sang while cleaning and according to Bernard had a beautiful voice. “I (would0 go into the bathroom on purpose to hear her sing every morning,” Bernard said.

The cleaning women often act as mother figures as well, “especially on an all-girls floor because we are always looking for guidance,” Bernard said. Bernard lived in New Residence last year and became close with the women who cleaned her suite. She said the same woman now cleans the hall where she is a resident assistant. Bernard remembered she was getting ready for a date and pulled in the women who then helped Bernard pick out an outfit for the date.