Janitors rally in Oakbrook Terrace to end corporate bank bailouts

Hundreds of janitors marched with drums, horns and banners in Oakbrook Terrace Thursday clogging traffic and drawing police attention.

Service Employees International Union 1 rallied to end corporate bank bailouts. Janitors said the purpose of the gathering was to urge banks to use federal bailout money for job creation, not cushioning executive salaries.

The local rally kicked off at the Bank of America mortgage office near Midwest and Butterfield roads and ended at Chase Bank at Midwest and 22nd Street. As part of the nationwide effort, other rallies took place in Boston, California, Washington D.C. and other states.

The janitors marched at banks hoping to make a symbolic statement to the U.S. Congress that banking reforms are needed as well as affordable, quality health care for all Americans.

In Oakbrook Terrace, the janitors held signs in Spanish, Polish, Serbian and Croatian that read "Good Jobs for a Fair Recovery," union spokeswoman Leslie Mendoza Kamstra said they are angry about the bonuses given to AIG executives with government bailout money.

"We want congress to take action," she said. "(The banks) are being irresponsible with taxpayer money and we're here to make a statement."

The rally backed up traffic along 22nd Street and Midwest Road for about 30 minutes. Police directed traffic and questioned organizers as to why they were not made aware of the gathering.