Queens Borough President Donovan Richards at an earlier protest at Gertz Plaza Mall in October. Photograph: 32BJ
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A coalition of New York Metropolis elected officers has condemned the actions of L&J Industrial and Residential Companies after the contractor slashed wages and eradicated advantages for cleansing workers at Gertz Plaza Mall in Jamaica late final yr.
In an open letter to L&J president Luis Vigoya, the officers criticized the corporate for its remedy of employees at each Gertz Plaza Mall and Manhattan’s 529 fifth Avenue, the place L&J additionally gives cleansing providers.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, alongside different representatives, expressed outrage over the contractor’s determination to chop wages simply earlier than the vacation season, calling it a betrayal of hard-working staff who’ve lengthy served these properties.
The letter was additionally signed by State Sen. Leroy Comrie, Council Member Dr. Nantasha Williams and Meeting Member Vivian Prepare dinner – all representing Jamaica – in addition to State Sen. Liz Krueger, Meeting Member Alex Bores and Council Member Keith Powers – all representing Manhattan.
The eight elected officers wrote that Gertz Plaza Mall and 529 fifth Ave. had each employed a accountable cleansing contractor for a number of years earlier than L&J gained the contract for each websites. They acknowledged that earlier employers offered middle-class wages and advantages to hard-working cleaners.
They mentioned Vigoya’s determination to slash wages and advantages for employees pressured people to cancel medical procedures and fall behind on lease.
“Your company has slashed wages and benefits for dedicated employees who have spent years servicing the property,” the elected officers wrote in a letter to Vigoya.
In addition they acknowledged that trade requirements have been established in New York via many years of collaboration between homeowners, contractors, and staff.
“Tens of thousands of New Yorkers have dedicated time and energy to creating a real estate economy where all parties can thrive. Challenging that is dangerous to the entire market.”
The letter additionally raised considerations about L&J’s enterprise deal with, stating that many employees tried to succeed in the enterprise deal with on file to talk with Vigoya in regards to the subject however discovered a residential condominium as a substitute. The employees reported that residents on the Woodside condominium constructing deal with claimed to not know Vigoya.
Different L&J employees reported receiving pay stubs that listed a hospital in Hackensack, New Jersey, as the corporate’s enterprise deal with.
“For a variety of reasons, it is vital that you are thoroughly transparent with all parties about your address,” the elected officers wrote within the letter to Vigoya. “We hope that you will work to resolve this escalating dispute, ensure that your company adheres to reasonable standards and treat your workers with the respect they deserve.”
This isn’t the primary time that elected officers and employees have raised considerations about L&J.
On Nov. 26, dozens of Queens-based industrial cleaners and safety workers held a protest at Gertz Plaza Mall over L&J’s determination to slash wages and advantages.
Organized by 32BJ of the Service Workers Worldwide Union (SEIU), the protest aimed to highlight the plight of employees who mentioned they’d been unfairly focused by the brand new contractor’s insurance policies.
As a symbolic gesture, 32BJ awarded L&J the “Turkey of the Year” award, underscoring the contractor’s actions that employees say have jeopardized their livelihoods. Employees and elected officers alike condemned L&J’s determination to cut back hourly pay from $29 to $16 for cleansing workers at Gertz Plaza Mall.
Cleansing workers and safety employees additionally staged a protest at Gertz Plaza Mall in October earlier than the announcement of the November wage cuts.
In July, in the meantime, 5 unionized cleaners and a unionized hearth security director who had labored at 529 fifth Ave. for many years went on strike to protest L&J Janatorial’s refusal to cut price with 32BJ.
L&J Janitorial took over as a contractor at Fifth Metropolis Realty LLC in June and subsequently lowered cleansing wages to $16 per hour. L&J additionally canceled a number of advantages, whereas night time shift cleaners mentioned their take-home pay was lowered by 60% as a consequence of a mixture of wage and hour reductions.
Vigoya couldn’t be reached for remark.
