Protests continue at M Financial Plaza, a JP Morgan Chase-owned building that dumped its union janitors
With drums and chanting, janitors and their allies protested at M Financial Plaza again twice in recent weeks, challenging the building’s switch to using a non-union janitorial company. At issue is the decision by property manager Arke Management to not renew its service contract with ABM at M Financial Plaza in Portland’s Pearl District. ABM employees are members of SEIU Local 49, and are guaranteed fair wages, quality health insurance for themselves and their children, retirement contributions, and enforceable policies to foster respect on the job. To replace them, Arke Management brought in Millennium Building Services, a company with a history of troubling labor conditions, in late 2023. Since…
JPMorgan, ‘Tis the season to clean up the mess at M Financial Plaza
Portland, Oregon – Dec. 19, 2024 Controversy continues for JPMorgan Chase after the union janitors were replaced in a JPMorgan-owned building in Oregon. A group of about 20 janitors and their allies protested today at M Financial Plaza in Portland’s Pearl District, calling on building owner JPMorgan Chase to create good jobs by ensuring a union janitorial company cleans the property. The janitors, members of SEIU Local 49, first delivered candy canes and sang a Christmas carol at M Financial Plaza, across from Powell’s City of Books in the Brewery Blocks. They hung paper ornaments on a Christmas tree labeled with their items on their wish list, including…
- ABM, Millennium Building Services, News, SBM, Shorenstein Realty Services, Standard Insurance Center, Unico
The good, the bad, and the ugly: how CRE decisionmakers are standing up to COVID-19 – or not
Shorenstein Realty Services, Unico Properties, Nike, and Intel are stepping up to ensure that the essential workers who clean their properties—janitors—are able to support their families during this crisis and are helping to mitigate the health risks and financial impacts of COVID-19 by investing in responsible union janitorial contractors.
Standard Insurance tenants report a drop in quality after switch to Millennium
Several months after switching to Millennium Building Services for its night shift janitorial services, a recent tenant survey at Standard Insurance Tower and Plaza found that 60% of respondents feel that the night janitorial quality had gone down under the new contractor.
The Standard comes under nationwide scrutiny for driving down standards
Standard Insurance came under nationwide scrutiny as low wage workers and their allies raised concerns about Standard’s contracting practices. In Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver and Seattle, janitors delivered letters to Standard insurance offices, calling on the company to do right by the people who clean their buildings. As one more example of the powerful #JusticeForJanitors campaign, the delegations all requested that The Standard reverse course and choose from one of the many Responsible Contractors that operate in the Portland market.
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