Janitors and security officers who clean, service, and secure the commercial real estate, high tech, public services, and apparel industries in Oregon and SW Washington are united with workers from across the West Coast in their campaign to win a new three-year contract with their employers. Janitors are coming together at their worksites to show unity around their campaign and to highlight the important role they play. “As tenants start to return to offices, it is imperative that proper cleaning and security protocols are in place, and that frontline workers are trained, have experience at their site, have access to affordable healthcare, and have paid time off so they do not need to…

Janitors and their allies called on the owners of Harrison Square, Libertas Companies, to invest in a Responsible Union Contractor. Libertas pulled some fast moves last year: after buying the building, they ditched their long-time responsible Union contractor, leaving janitors and their families in the lurch. Libertas instead contracted with Expresso Building Services, a contractor currently under investigation by Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries for apparent violations of basic contractor registration requirements, which were developed to protect workers from exploitation at the hands of fly-by-night contractors.   Expresso Building Services holds a “red” rating from ResponsibleContractorGuide.com, which tracks janitorial and security contractors’ adherence to area workplace standards and protections on…