Portland janitors step up their call on building owners to practice responsible contracting
Millennium Building Service (MBS) janitors, who clean the offices of major corporations and institutions across Portland, filed complaints with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) on Wednesday, 9/20, alleging wage theft, underpayment of wages, and denial of legally-protected sick time. A group of janitors visited the BOLI offices asking for action to reclaim back wages and recognition for their rights on the job. MBS janitors clean buildings at Nike World Headquarters, Daimler Trucks’ North American Headquarters, and office buildings owned by Portland State University. As part of Raise America PDX actions, community supporters signed onto a letter asking why companies like Daimler and Nike, which received massive public…
Properties in the Spotlight: Daimler Headquarters
Daimler Trucks of North America unveiled its new headquarters in Portland in 2016. This sleek, state-of-the-art, LEED Platinum certified building was constructed with up to $20 million in incentives from city and state agencies. As part of that incentive package, Daimler promised to create good jobs for its employees. If Daimler chooses to contract out to another company, however, those workers are excluded from this good jobs agreement. And when Daimler chose Millennium Building Services to clean the new building, it brought in a largely low-wage, immigrant workforce that might not define their employment as “good jobs.” Workers have reported low wages even after years of loyalty to the company…
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