Cleaning New York Subways, Immigrant Workers Find Abuse
Working for the MTAâs hired contractors, an immigrant workforce is exploited and harassed.
Kevin Hagen/AP Photo
Cleaning subway trains is one of the few jobs available to immigrant New Yorkers out of work at the height of the pandemic.
âGood morning Mrs. LucÃa, I wanted to let you know that I disagree with you denying me the opportunity to work, knowing that weâre in a pandemic, because I didnât play along and flirt with the supervisor,â texted train cleaner Claudia Barbosa (in Spanish) to her supervisor at NV Maintenance, one of the 21 third-party contractors hired by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to clean and disinfect New York Cityâs subways during the COVID-19 pandemic. Barbosa had to wait a month to collect her last check. She says her supervisor didnât give it to her until she showed up in person at the 96th Street and Second Avenue station and spoke to MTA staff