CRE Confrontation Pressures Developers To Improve Pay, Conditions
About 10 janitors and union organizers on Monday afternoon confronted developers in Downtown Doral, Codina Partners’ massive mixed-use development near Miami, over alleged unfair labor practices. Seven janitors allegedly lost their jobs after they tried to organize a union and Codina switched cleaning contractors.
Service Employees International Union spokesperson Ana Tinsly said janitors who clean office buildings in Downtown Doral earn $8.65 per hour, and do not get sick days, vacation days or healthcare benefits. They also had to provide their own personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.
A livestream of the conflict showed the janitors and a union leader speaking with someone who appeared to be a property manager at Downtown Doral and demanding to be hired by the new cleaning contractor.
A workforce largely composed of immigrants and women of color is fighting to organize a union after facing low wages, poor conditions and lax safety protections during the pandemic
Janitors in Florida are fighting to organize a union through the Justice for Janitors campaign as the predominantly immigrant and women of color workforce have faced severely low wages, poor working conditions and lax safety protections during the pandemic. Building off union victories for janitors at the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University in 2006, and more recent organizing wins at Miami international airport and Fort.