More than a dozen union members marched into the Hennepin County Government Center on Monday to hand-deliver a demand letter to the county.<\/p>\n
Their plea was simple \u2014 \u201cLet\u2019s get our jobs back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The group organized by Service Employees International Union Local 26 included seven janitors with a combined 180 years of experience who had been recently laid off from their jobs at the building.<\/p>\n
The majority of affected workers came from immigrant backgrounds, according to the union.<\/p>\n
Mercedes Ponce, one of the affected workers, has cleaned bathrooms and offices at the Hennepin County Government Center for the last 12 years. Others in the group have worked as janitors in the building since the 1990s.<\/p>\n
Ponce teared up as she expressed the pride she felt for her job through a translator.\u00a0 She said everything changed Aug. 27 when workers were given notice their jobs were being cut.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow I have a lot of stress and I\u2019m here for answers and to get my job back,\u201d she said before joining her group marching into the building.<\/p>\n
The janitors are employed by Kleen-Tech, a Denver-based janitorial services contractor, SEIU Local 26 political director Samantha Diaz said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kleen-Tech won the contract to clean the building after the county declined to renew a contact with ABM, Diaz said.<\/p>\n
Both contractors are members of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Contract Cleaners Association, which has a bargaining agreement with the union.<\/p>\n
Diaz said it\u2019s rare to see significant layoffs during a contract change with another employer covered by the bargaining agreement with the union. Usually the only change in the transition is the company name on the employee uniforms.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is incredibly unusual the amount of employees that were not retained,\u201d Diaz said. \u201cIt\u2019s totally unusual and that\u2019s why the county should have to answer for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to SEIU Local 26, the Hennepin County Government Center lost about a third of its janitorial workforce.<\/p>\n
Laid off workers said that will increase the workload of the remaining staff.<\/p>\n
So far the union said it\u2019s unclear whether Kleen-Tech or Hennepin County would fill the vacancies left by the seven janitorial workers.<\/p>\n
Diaz said the workers are directing their concerns at the county after being informed Hennepin County was responsible for turning in the names of the individuals that were let go.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet us be clear, at the very same time that our federal government is targeting and attacking immigrant workers, our county should be our safeguard. Hennepin County has claims that it will stand up to the federal government and protect immigrant workers. Well, it\u2019s time for them to start acting like it,\u201d Diaz said.<\/p>\n
Affected workers alleged discrimination on Monday and said ageism could\u2019ve been a factor in their jobs being cut.<\/p>\n
Workers have already begun filing inquiries with the Minnesota Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, raising concerns about age discrimination, Diaz said.<\/p>\n
Sahan Journal reached out to Hennepin County for comment and spokeswoman Carolyn Marinan confirmed that the county does not directly employ the janitorial staff at its facilities but does provide \u201cfeedback\u201d to contractors who do.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe county provides feedback to its contractors, including concerns with the performance of individual personnel. Kleen-Tech hired 10 individuals previously employed by ABM and providing services in the Government Center,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
None of the affected workers had previous documented disciplines, according to the union.<\/p>\n
Kleen-Tech did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n