Target Adopts Responsible Contractor Policy: June 2014
After four years of organizing including leading three strikes against cleaning companies in 2013, and a year of dialogue between Target Corporation, CTUL and retail janitors, Target is taking a leadership role in the industry by adopting new language in an unprecedented Responsible Contractor Policy that will be implemented for new cleaning contracts at their stores. The policy is the first of its kind nationally in the industry. CTUL is now calling on every other major retail stores to follow Target’s leadership by adopting the same Responsible Contractor Policy, including:
- Protecting and ensuring workers’ rights to collectively bargain with their employers;
- Ensuring that workers have the right to form safety committees in the workplace made up of at least 50% workers who are designated by their co-workers; and
- Ensuring that workers are not forced to work seven days a week.
This victory paves the way for workers to gain fair wages, benefits, and a voice in the workplace, and has implications that move well beyond the estimated 1,000 retail janitors in the Twin Cities, opening the door to ensure that low-wage workers of color have a place at the table in deciding the future of work. Fundamentally this is part of CTUL’s vision of empowering low-wage workers to play a leadership role in reorganizing the economy to ensure that it works for everyone, not just the 1%.
- CTUL’s analysis of the victory
- Statements of support for workers with this victory from U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, National Guestworker Alliance, Janice Fine, and many more.
- CTUL Video about the victory
- Photos and Report from Victory Press Conference
Press Highlights
- “Target Adopts ‘Breakthrough’ Policy for Janitors,” Kare 11 News, Lindsey Seavert, June 10, 2014
“The janitors who clean Twin Cities Target stores announced victory today, after the retailer agreed to a new policy that will give the workers better conditions, including the right to collectively bargain, and ensure workers are not forced to work seven days a week.”
- “Target Bends to Labor, Tells Contractors to Meet with Unions,” Bloomberg Businessweek, Josh Eidelson, June 12, 2014
“…a strong core of leaders in the industry, who have gone on three strikes…that’s the mechanism of enforcement.”
- “Janitors at Target stores to see new protections in contracts,” MPR, Tom Weber, June 10, 2014
