Janitors call on Harrison Square Owners to Build Back Better
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…
Portland Janitors and Security Officers Win Guaranteed Job-Quality Standards in Broadway Corridor Development
The Healthy Communities Coalition (HCC) and SEIU Local 49 settled two groundbreaking agreements that will raise job quality standards and create training opportunities for janitors and security officers in the future Broadway Corridor development. Broadway Corridor is 34 acres that connects Old Town/Chinatown and the Pearl District. Historically, the Broadway Corridor has been the home to Native, Black, Chinese, and Japanese Americans who have been forcibly displaced over the past century. Now, the City of Portland and Prosper Portland plan to use $40+ million of public tax dollars to leverage $1+ billion of private investment to redevelop an old U.S. Postal Service property, a 14-acre parcel near the west side…
Settlement of SEIU 49 (Plaintiff) Lawsuit against Expresso Building Services (Defendant)
As of January 1, 2018, all janitorial employers in the State of Oregon were required to obtain a license to provide janitorial services. Oregon janitors in SEIU Local 49 filed a lawsuit in September 2019 against Expresso Building Services for failure to obtain a license as a janitorial employer. SEIU alleged that Expresso continued to operate as an unlicensed janitorial contractor in Oregon for nearly 18 months, only applying after receiving an inquiry from state investigators who were following up on an anonymous complaint.
Your office is re-opening, do your tenants feel safe? Responsible Union Contracting can help.
As tenants question returning to the office, your choice in a janitorial vendor can have a big impact. Say good-bye to the shared candy bowl and ping pong table with shared paddles. Beyond office redesign many tenants first question is about janitorial service. As tenants mull over scope and frequency of cleaning, another thing to keep in mind is the benefits that your janitor may or may not have.
Union janitors win protections and benefits, call on Standard Insurance to step up
In the midst of a pandemic, Portland-area Union janitors and their supporters are calling on Standard Insurance to invest in frontline workers. While improvements and protections for union janitors and tenants improve, circumstances get worse for non-union janitors. Union janitors win a contract extension that addresses concerns during this pandemic that includes a wage increase, expanded paid sick leave and COVID protections. Meaning building owners and tenants who use Union companies can feel proud of the protections for frontline workers cleaning their facilities.
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