Actions speak louder than words. Acting Governor Jane Swift’s actions sent a strong and important message in support of Boston’s striking janitors yesterday, canceling the state’s contract with the company playing the biggest role in the conflict, UNICCO, and asking for new bids from companies offering their employees health insurance, according to the Associated Press.

Swift’s move will cost the state $140,000 more over the rest of the fiscal year, a price Swift said is well worth it in the interest of giving the low-wage workers adequate health coverage, according to the Associated Press. Her action averted a Thursday picket of the Massachusetts Statehouse. Swift, who will be leaving office in January, was praised for her termination of the UNICCO contract by a spokesman for the Service Employees International Union Local 254 in the Associated Press article.

While surprising for a Republican governor, Swift’s push for health care benefits for Statehouse janitors should boost morale for the city’s striking janitors. Gubernatorial support for one of janitors’ most crucial strike demands will likely help their thus far unsuccessful strike by applying needed pressure on management. Many American social policies, including affirmative action and other anti-discrimination laws, are enforced using the leverage of government contracts. Swift’s move could have much the same effect, setting standards for the city’s janitorial employers.

But though Swift’s move may help better the lives of future state-employed janitors, it could well push those formerly employed by UNICCO at the Statehouse out of work. Swift did give UNICCO the option of offering its Statehouse employees health insurance and resigning with the state, but that looks unlikely. UNICCO’s former Statehouse employees may be out of work, though their efforts may have helped janitors’ greater cause.

The Jobs for Justice campaign got effective and much-needed help from the corner office yesterday. And SEIU Local 254’s praise for Swift’s move shows just how dedicated to justice the city’s striking janitors really are — though they may not directly benefit from Swift’s new janitor contract requirements, they may well have improved the lives of the Statehouse’s future janitors.