B5C
24th February 2013, 02:37
Target Janitors Threaten Strike: Hardworking Low Wage Americans Have Had Enough (VIDEO)
On Friday, The Nation (http://www.thenation.com/blog/173051/workers-cleaning-target-stores-threaten-strike#) labor reporter Josh Eidelson reported that approximately 150 contracted cleaning workers (janitors) who clean Target stores in Minnesota have threatened to strike if the three contractors they work for do not meet to address safety and labor law violations, as well as the firing of two workers a week after one of them appeared in a campaign video. The non-unionized janitors, contractors for Target facilities in Minneapolis and St. Paul, are led by Twin Cities labor group Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL). The janitors not employed by Target work through three janitorial contractors: Prestige Maintenance USA, Diversified Maintenance Systems, and Carlson Building Maintenance.
Eidelson reports:
The strike threat follows a series of OSHA charges alleging that employees of those companies were denied proper safety training and legally required breaks and mealtimes (http://www.phillipslaw.com/target-janitors-class-action-settled), and are locked inside of Target stores, and National Labor Relations Board charges alleging that they were retaliated against for organizing. The charges and the strike threat were spearheaded by the Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL), a Twin Cities labor group that, as The Nation reported, has been organizing retail cleaning workers for two years.
Former employee Honorio Hernandez reported:
At 11 at night, I would ring the doorbell to get let in, and then from there, we would be locked in the store all night, until 7 am when they opened the store. I was scared that something would happen, and I wouldnt be able to get out of the store. But I never complained about it because I was scared that I would lose my job. (Source (http://www.thenation.com/blog/172426/workers-tell-osha-they-were-locked-inside-target-stores-overnight))
CTUL has been collaborating with Service Employees International Union (SEIU), whose members clean commercial offices in the Twin Cities, including Target corporate offices. According to CTUL organizer Veronica Mendez, the employees made the decision to prepare for a strike in meetings last weekend. She said that weve got a core group of really strong leaders, and More than likely workers will be going on strike on Tuesday.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/02/23/target-janitors-threaten-strike-hardworking-low-wage-americans-have-had-enough-video/
ZlwuFpzbmnk
I worked with some of these workers. They are great to work with. I am sadden that they are paid so low compared to me.
On Friday, The Nation (http://www.thenation.com/blog/173051/workers-cleaning-target-stores-threaten-strike#) labor reporter Josh Eidelson reported that approximately 150 contracted cleaning workers (janitors) who clean Target stores in Minnesota have threatened to strike if the three contractors they work for do not meet to address safety and labor law violations, as well as the firing of two workers a week after one of them appeared in a campaign video. The non-unionized janitors, contractors for Target facilities in Minneapolis and St. Paul, are led by Twin Cities labor group Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL). The janitors not employed by Target work through three janitorial contractors: Prestige Maintenance USA, Diversified Maintenance Systems, and Carlson Building Maintenance.
Eidelson reports:
The strike threat follows a series of OSHA charges alleging that employees of those companies were denied proper safety training and legally required breaks and mealtimes (http://www.phillipslaw.com/target-janitors-class-action-settled), and are locked inside of Target stores, and National Labor Relations Board charges alleging that they were retaliated against for organizing. The charges and the strike threat were spearheaded by the Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL), a Twin Cities labor group that, as The Nation reported, has been organizing retail cleaning workers for two years.
Former employee Honorio Hernandez reported:
At 11 at night, I would ring the doorbell to get let in, and then from there, we would be locked in the store all night, until 7 am when they opened the store. I was scared that something would happen, and I wouldnt be able to get out of the store. But I never complained about it because I was scared that I would lose my job. (Source (http://www.thenation.com/blog/172426/workers-tell-osha-they-were-locked-inside-target-stores-overnight))
CTUL has been collaborating with Service Employees International Union (SEIU), whose members clean commercial offices in the Twin Cities, including Target corporate offices. According to CTUL organizer Veronica Mendez, the employees made the decision to prepare for a strike in meetings last weekend. She said that weve got a core group of really strong leaders, and More than likely workers will be going on strike on Tuesday.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/02/23/target-janitors-threaten-strike-hardworking-low-wage-americans-have-had-enough-video/
ZlwuFpzbmnk
I worked with some of these workers. They are great to work with. I am sadden that they are paid so low compared to me.