by Juliet Blalack
Workers thrown out in the cold before Xmas Union workers and sympathizers protest firing at the federal building on 7th Street (photo by Marvin J. Ramirez)
In the latest push to get the first janitors who worked at the new federal building their jobs back, about 35 people protested in front the building on Dec. 13th.
Many of the janitors have been picketing the new federal building at Mission and Seventh streets for the past two months, read a press release. They lost their jobs on Sept. 28th.
”It will affect my whole family’s economy,” said Luis Alvarez, speaking in Spanish. Alvarez said he worked for federal buildings for 18 years before he was fired with only a day’s notice.
General Services Administration (GSA), a company that manages government buildings, told a group of about 20 janitors to reapply for their jobs when their contracts ended, according to a press release.
Instead, GSA hired the non-union company Exemplar Enterprises to oversee custodial work.
“The new company doesn’t want to negotiate with the union,” said Deresa Navarro, also one of the janitors. Navarro said the new company has less benefits, pays less money, and hires fewer people.
Gene Gibson, a spokeswoman from GSA, said that the contract with the original janitors, members of the Service Employees International Union Local 87, only lasted until Sept. 28.
GSA was obligated by federal law to select the company with the best price and not give priority to union companies, she said. Although GSA did not select a union company for this contract, the company does have other contracts with unions, she said.
“All these purchases are done above the board and according to law,” said Gibson.
Organizers from Poor Magazine said Martha Lutt might be employed by GSA while owning Exemplar, which would be a conflict of interest.
Gibson said Exemplar hired a former employee of GSA, but only after GSA signed the contract with Exemplar. She said she did not know if the employee described was Lutt or someone else.
Supervisors Chris Daly, Geraldo Sandoval, Tom Ammiano, and Ross Mirkarimi presented a resolution urging Exemplar and GSA to hire the union janitors at the building and requesting Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to also put pressure on Exemplar and GSA to do so.
The board passed the resolution on December 11th, and the mayor signed it on Dec. 18th, according to board clerk Sunny Wong.
Since the federal government oversees the building, this resolution by local government is not legally compelling.
