Over the last month, the Justice for Janitors campaign conducted numerous pickets, leaflets and other actions several times a week in front of office buildings cleaned by Clean Power. Several new charges of labor violations have also been filed by SEIU Local 1 against the company.
As Union Labor News goes to print, there’s still no word on whether Clean Power, Madison's largest cleaning contractor, will be awarded the bid on the new 15-building State contract. But even as the State investigates which cleaning company should get this multimillion dollar contract, Clean Power continues to intimidate its workforce.
“If we can get a responsible contractor in with the State, this will transform the entire cleaning industry in Madison – largely an immigrant workforce – and will also begin a serious transformation in Madison's service sector in general,” said Leone Bicchieri, lead organizer with SEIU Local 1’s Justice for Janitors campaign.
Just since Memorial Day, Clean Power's anti-worker conduct has resulted in the filing of:
• Multiple Unfair Labor Practice charges in which workers claim management has harassed them – and even fired one worker – for asserting their rights.
• An OSHA complaint that worker safety is not respected, as workers are not provided with required protective gear when using corrosive, toxic chemicals.
• A labor standards complaint describing a worker having been cheated out of wages, and then verbally assaulted after raising concerns with management.
Among many concerned community members who have voiced concern about Clean Power was Alder Austin King, who (along with several other Alders) wrote a letter to the State’s Department of Administration (DOA). The letter expressed grave concern about the use of taxpayer money for a company like Clean Power, who has acted like anything but a responsible contractor – which the new State cleaning contract stipulates. King also reminded the DOA that the Common Council has passed a resolution in support of janitors in Madison who are organizing to better their working conditions, and their lives.
Nick Travanty, Clean Power worker at Risser Justice (and one of the workers to file an Unfair Labor Practice charge against Clean Power recently), put it best: “Since my coworkers and I spoke out against injustice on the job, Clean Power has disciplined us, and one worker was fired. I feel targeted for intimidation by Clean Power. This is evidence that State decision makers need to consider before deciding this contract.”
Any day now, the State will award Wisconsin's largest cleaning contract. Workers, supporters, and AFSCME and AFT-W unions, have presented documentation of Clean Power's mounting record of illegal and repressive activity to the DOA.
“With millions of dollars at stake, taxpayers deserve a thorough process where all evidence is taken into account,” says Bicchieri.
Company Injunction Possible
The National Labor Relations Board is even considering a temporary injunction against Clean Power due to the serious nature of the Unfair Labor Practice charges the union has brought against Clean Power.
“This is rare with today’s NLRB, and shows just how serious Clean Power’s labor violations really are – we have not even requested this potential injunction, but rather the Milwaukee NLRB is considering it on their own, after reviewing the Clean Power workers’ allegations,” said Bicchieri.