We’re working together for a better economy, good jobs, and healthy, safe buildings.

  • Our Campaign
  • News
    • ABM
    • Daimler
    • Expresso
    • Millennium Building Services
    • National Maintenance Contractors
    • SBM
    • Shorenstein Realty Services
    • Standard Insurance Center
    • TMT
    • Umpqua Bank Plaza
    • Unico
    • US Security Associates
  • For Janitors / Para Janitors
  • Our Campaign
  • News
    • ABM
    • Daimler
    • Expresso
    • Millennium Building Services
    • National Maintenance Contractors
    • SBM
    • Shorenstein Realty Services
    • Standard Insurance Center
    • TMT
    • Umpqua Bank Plaza
    • Unico
    • US Security Associates
  • For Janitors / Para Janitors
  • National Maintenance Contractors,  News

    National Maintenance Contractors Faces Another Lawsuit from Ex-Employees

    June 18, 2019 /

    National Maintenance Contractors, a janitorial firm with a long history with legal challenges, faces scrutiny this week after new claims are made. The NMC business model has come under fire in Oregon and Washington, especially after after a 2013 ruling by an administrative law judge—upheld in 2015 and 2017—found that NMC misclassified employees as franchisees.

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  • Daimler,  Millennium Building Services,  National Maintenance Contractors,  News,  Umpqua Bank Plaza

    REPORT: Cleaning Up Oregon’s Janitorial Industry

    June 11, 2018 /

    July 1, 2018, a new Oregon law will hold janitorial contractors and their customers responsible for fixing longstanding problems in the industry, including sexual harassment and assault, discrimination, and wage theft.

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  • National Maintenance Contractors,  News,  Umpqua Bank Plaza

    Let’s Talk about Good Jobs at Umpqua Bank Plaza

    March 13, 2018 /

    Umpqua Bank prides itself on being a community bank, responsive to the needs of the people it serves and open to hearing comments from customers and the public. But when their janitorial contractor at their headquarters, Umpqua Bank Plaza, decided to eliminate 7 good union jobs for janitors in their building, community members were shocked that Umpqua Bank failed to intervene to protect good jobs for the Portland community. Now, members of the Portland community are asking Umpqua Bank to be true to its values. Umpqua has program to allow customers to call their CEO from every bank “store” using a special phone. Janitors and supporters in Portland are calling…

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  • National Maintenance Contractors,  News,  Umpqua Bank Plaza

    Zeller Realty chose a company with a history of legal problems to clean Umpqua Bank Plaza

    October 31, 2017 /

    National Maintenance Contractors (NMC), the company Zeller Realty Group chose to clean Umpqua Bank Plaza, sells dubious franchises to janitors—reportedly often to immigrant workers with limited English proficiency—through contracts that charge thousands of dollars in fees for the right to service Zeller’s customer accounts. Recently, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that NMC must back pay the state approximately $138,000 in unemployment insurance taxes because these “franchisees” are legally employees. Findings in the case include: Franchisees (janitors) had to pay thousands of dollars to work for NMC. Some franchisees waited months for NMC to provide the work they had paid for. NMC deducted from franchisees’ income up to 51% of…

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Recent Posts

  • Portland Janitors and Security Officers Win Guaranteed Job-Quality Standards in Broadway Corridor Development September 23, 2020
  • Settlement of SEIU 49 (Plaintiff) Lawsuit against Expresso Building Services (Defendant) July 10, 2020
  • Your office is re-opening, do your tenants feel safe? Responsible Union Contracting can help. June 16, 2020
  • Union janitors win protections and benefits, call on Standard Insurance to step up June 16, 2020
  • Oregon Investment Council raises the bar with Responsible Contracting Policy April 8, 2020

Our Campaign

As the national movement for good jobs and fair wages swells, janitors, security officers, and airport workers from across the country are standing up to raise standards and improve jobs for all workers in our communities.

Locally in Portland and SW Washington, janitors, security officers, and airport workers have joined together to raise standards, improve jobs, and highlight the issues associated with irresponsible janitorial and security contractors such as high-turnover, low pay, lack of dependability, lack of affordable healthcare, and all-around lower standards.

By using responsible contractors in their market, building owners and other clients of subcontractors can take steps to ensure that subcontracted workers hold safe, good jobs and are treated with respect. Responsible contracting reduces the risk of labor disruption and lowers turnover—thereby increasing efficiency and workplace stability—by providing fair wages and benefits that workers deserve.

#RaiseAmericaPDX

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