More than 100 Tufts University janitors and their supporters marched through part of the school’s campus in Somerville on Saturday, and students were planning more action on graduation day.
The protesters banged drums and chanted in English and Spanish as they marched from Powder House Square down Professors Row the day before the university’s commencement ceremonies. A woman and a man dressed as a cockroach and a rat passed out fliers to onlookers, including the families of students who will be graduating Sunday.
It’s the latest action by the unionized custodians and their student supporters, who have previously blocked traffic and held a six-day hunger strike to oppose a Tufts plan to cut 20 janitor jobs. With most students leaving for the summer, the cleaners, who work for a university contractor named DTZ, said they are worried the university will go ahead with the cuts.
“We are concerned, obviously, because the students are strong,” said Paula Castillo, a custodian who said through a translator that she has been cleaning at Tufts for 18 years. “We have been flexible . . . we have no answer from the administration.”
Kim Thurler, a Tufts spokeswoman, said the university was focused on commencement activities and she did not expect any developments over the weekend. Tufts administrators had met with student protesters, Thurler said, but the school “is not part of any discussions between DTZ and SEIU,” the union that represents the janitors.
On Satuday, Somerville police blocked streets for the protesters, who held banners and passed out fliers to people who stopped to watch as the group passed the long stretch of university buildings and fraternities on Professors Row.
Guadalupe Chavez, a part-time cleaner who said she has worked at Tufts for four years, said the cutbacks would be a financial blow to her family.
“We want Tufts to listen to us,” said Chavez.
David Ferrándiz, a sophomore member of the Tufts Labor Coalition, said students plan to protest at commencement events Sunday. The university asked students to conduct their protests in a designated area, but Ferrándiz said student activists have refused.
“We will exercise our free speech,” he said, declining to specify how. He called the proposal to limit the protest to a certain part of campus a “dangerous precedent.” The university said it has made similar requests before.
Jack Newsham can be reached at jack.newsham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheNewsHam.