Janitors who clean Target and other big box stores cite ongoing disputes with contract employers

Retail janitors who work for contracted companies cleaning Target and other stores in the Twin Cities set a deadline for a second strike for 5pm on Monday, June 10^th if employers continue to refuse to open dialogue with them and CTUL regarding the right to organize without fear of retaliation.

Click here for more details and pictures of the press conference.

Click here to sign a petition standing with retail janitors

Target Corporation will be holding it’s annual shareholders meeting in Denver, Colorado on June 12. Workers plan to attend the meeting and bring concerns about contracted cleaning companies violating their workplace rights.

RETAIL JANITORS SET JUNE 10 DEADLINE FOR STRIKE!

Tuesday, May 14th, retail janitors who work for companies that clean Target and other stores announced a June 10th deadline for a strike. More details to come soon.

In the meantime, stand with retail janitors by signing this petition calling on cleaning companies to respect workers’ rights to organize without fear of retaliation. And after you sign, SHARE on Facebook by going to CTUL’s Facebook page and SHARE the statement and link.

900 Nicollet Ave., Downtown Mpls

May 14, 1:30pm

Tomorrow, May 14, retail janitors who work for contracted companies cleaning Target and other stores in the Twin Cities metro area will be making a huge announcement about the Campaign for Justice in Retail Cleaning. To RSVP for the press conference, click here.

What: CTUL Press Conference

When: Tuesday, May 14, 1:30pm

Where: 900 Nicollet Ave., Downtown Minneapolis (in front of the Target store)

We are also starting weekly CTUL Solidarity meetings for allies to plan actions to support workers as the campaign moves forward. Our next CTUL Solidarity meeting will be on Wednesday, May 16 at 6:30pm at CTUL’s office (2511 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis). To RSVP for the Solidarity meeting, click here.

Only two days after the strike led by retail janitors, State Senator Patricia Torres Ray and State Representative Carlos Mariani introduced legislation designed to protect tens of thousands of sub-contracted workers who are underpaid and mistreated. Senator Torres Ray and Representative Mariani stood together with CTUL members to announce the legislation in a press conference at the Capitol this afternoon.

Click here for more information

Click here for a copy of CTUL’s press release

“What we intend to do is not only to raise awareness about issues that impact so many families, so many workers, who are not being paid for their work…but also the fact that there are many companies that are entering into contracts without having the necessary resources to fulfill those contracts,” State Senator Patricia Torres Ray.

“We can easily point our fingers at the middle man…but quite frankly the whole stage is set by the bids that are being established by these very sophisticated corporations who really ought to know better. They ought to absolutely know that the level at which they are putting these bids out can only produce much lower wages and can only encourage violations of our labor laws,” State Representative Carlos Mariani.

Over 200 janitors and community allies came out bright and early this morning for a lively picket against cleaning companies in front of the downtown Minneapolis Target store. Retail janitors from across the Twin Cities metro area came together for the picket during a one-day unfair labor practice strike, calling on cleaning companies to stop retaliating against workers.

Interestingly, in a statement to Kare-11 TV, Target stated the following about the strike:

“Target contracts with regional vendors to provide housekeeping services for all our stores and, as such, we do not employ the individuals involved in today’s events. At Target, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethical business practices and we expect our vendors to do the same.”

While it is true that Target does not employ the janitors directly, they clean floors at Target stores every evening – a key part in providing millions of dollars in profits for Target. The CEO of Target, Gregg Steinhafel, was recently named by the Minnesota Monthly as the most powerful person in Minnesota – more powerful than the Governor of Minnesota! We know that Mr. Steinhafel can fix this issue with a single phone call.

Click here for more pictures of the picket lines (scroll to the bottom).

Click here for a list of press coverage of the strike.

Over 200 workers and community allies came out for the opening rally of the one-day unfair labor practice strike. More pictures and a more detailed report forthcoming…in the meantime, click here to see a few more pictures.

SEE YOU TOMORROW ON THE PICKET LINE IN FRONT OF TARGET STORE IN DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS!

Hot off the Presses: “Non-union Target janitors in Minneapolis to go on strike,” Ned Resnikoff, MSNBC, Feb. 25

The deadline has passed, and workers are now preparing for a one-day unfair labor practice strike starting Monday, February 25 at 10pm.

Stand with workers:

• Mon, Feb. 25, 10pm, Rally with Striking Workers, 2511 E. Franklin Ave.
• Tues, Feb. 26, 6am – 10:45am, Picket with Retail Cleaning Workers, Target store in downtown (900 Nicollet Ave.) – Join us for 15 minutes or four hours!
• Tues, Feb. 26, 11am – noon, Rally with Take Action in front of Target Corporate HQ, 1000 Nicollet Ave.

Donate to the CTUL Strike Fund

Background:

Retail janitors who work for contracted companies that clean Target and other stores in the Twin Cities are planning a one-day unfair labor practice strike beginning Monday night, February 25. As we come into this historic moment, it is worth taking pause to look at the world of contracted cleaning and reflect on why we have come to this moment:

• Building service janitors who clean Target Headquarters just negotiated a new contract that will include earn $13.92 per hour for full time workers, access to good benefits, and a clear means to complain about problems without fear of retaliation.
• Retail janitors who clean Target stores earn around $8.50 per hour, have little to no access to benefits, and have no clear means to complain about problems without fear of retaliation. Even worse, many workers have complained about unpaid overtime wages and/or safety violations such as being locked in stores overnight.

The janitorial industry is clearly divided – Target and other office buildings are cleaned by responsible cleaning contractors, while Target stores and other stores in the Twin Cities are not. Several retail janitors recently filed National Labor Relations Board charges regarding the intimidation of workers for their organizing efforts to change this reality. On Monday, Feb. 25, workers will lead a one-day unfair labor practice strike demanding the right to organize without fear of retaliation.

BREAKING: New coverage on the deadline for a strike:

• “Workers Cleaning Target Stores Threaten to Strike,” Josh Eidelson, The Nation, Feb. 22, 2013
• “Retail rebellion: The next big strike could begin next week,” Ned Resnikoff, MSNBC, Feb. 22, 2013
• “Target janitors threaten strike,” Natasha Lennard, Salon.com, Feb. 22. 2013

Janitors who clean big box chain stores like Target earn sub-poverty wages with almost no benefits. Workers have been organizing with CTUL for fair wages and working conditions for over two years – and now they’ve decided that enough is enough! Janitors have decided that if the cleaning contractors where they work won’t meet with them to address unfair labor practices by Sunday, February 24^th, 2013, they will go on strike to protect their rights.

STAND WITH WORKERS:

• Mon, Feb. 25, 10pm, Rally with Striking Workers, 2511 E. Franklin Ave.
• Tues, Feb. 26, 6am – 10:45am, Picket with Retail Cleaning Workers, Target store in downtown (900 Nicollet Ave.) – Join us for 15 minutes or four hours!
• Tues, Feb. 26, 11am – noon, Rally with Take Action in front of Target Corporate HQ, 1000 Nicollet Ave.

Donate to the CTUL Strike Fund

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More actions you can take to support workers

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Images to help spread word on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

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Press coverage on the announcement of a deadline

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We hope that retail janitorial employers will stop violating workers rights and meet with workers in sincere and meaningful dialogue, but janitors are prepared to go on strike to protect their rights if necessary.

A proposed settlement for $675,000 has been reached in a class action lawsuit charging that Diversified Maintenance Systems, a cleaning contractor that cleans more than 600 Target stores nationwide, required workers to work up to 80 hours a week without full overtime pay.

Click here for more information on the proposed settlement

Click here for a copy of CTUL’s press release

Press Coverage:

• “Target store janitors reach wage settlement,” Sasha Aslanian, February 15, MPR

Janitors who work for a company that cleans Twin Cities Target stores have reached a preliminary settlement in a class-action lawsuit over unpaid wages…

• “Twin Cities janitors win settlement on overtime pay,”  Dee Depass, February 15, Star Tribune

The complaint alleged that certain managers made workers, mostly at five Twin Cities Target stores, punch into work on certain days using “ghost employee” ID cards. According to the court documents, the “scheme” required the janitors to clock in and sign work cards using the names of former DMS employees at least one or two days a week. The practice meant that those who worked as much as 56 to 80 hours a week received only regular pay.

• “Cleaners subcontracted to work for Target reach tentative overtime settlement,” John Welbes, February 5, Pioneer Press (also published in Bloomberg Businessweek and St. Cloud Times)
• “Target store cleaners may settle with subcontractor on overtime,” Mark Reilly, February 6, Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal