Making California Supermarkets Safe, Clean, Healthy, and Green

OAKLAND, CA — On Saturday, February 20, janitors who clean Northern California
Safeway supermarkets voted to ratify a tentative collective bargaining agreement with
Safeway’s janitorial services contractors ABM, Crystal, Premier, and AMS.  The
agreement maintains vital healthcare and pension benefits, and raises the base wage
rate for experienced workers up to $14.05 per hour, above industry standards.

“I’m thrilled that we were finally able to reach an agreement with Safeway’s contractors
that will protect our quality jobs and keep our communities healthy,” said Zenon Angeles,
a supermarket janitor and member of the SEIU Local 1877 Executive Board. “By coming
together as a union, we were able to win a strong contract that will boost our wages,
maintain our healthcare coverage and pension, and safeguard our safety and health.”

Negotiations between SEIU United Service Workers West, Local 1877, the labor union
of more than 450 janitors who clean Northern California Safeway supermarkets, and
Safeway’s janitorial services contractors had been ongoing since September 2009.
Negotiations had grown increasingly contentious in February, and a vote on whether or
not to authorize an unfair labor practice strike over the Safeway’s contractors’
intimidation of workers was originally scheduled for February 20.  But when the janitors
and Safeway’s contractors reached a tentative agreement late on Friday, February 19,
the strike vote was called off.  Instead, a quorum of hundreds of janitors met to review
the tentative agreement, and the overwhelming majority voted to ratify the agreement.

The new collective bargaining agreement will substantially improve janitors’ wages and
maintain or strengthen standards for health, retirement, and other vital benefits. The
agreement includes provisions to increase wages by between 40 and 65 cents each
year until 2012, bringing the base wage rate for experienced janitors up to $14.05 per
hour.  This is significantly higher than the current average wage of just $10.24 per hour.
The contract also provides for adequate healthcare benefits for janitors and their
families. The agreement also maintains the janitors’ pension fund in its current form, with
employers contributing between 30 and 50 cents to the retirement fund, per hour
worked.

Although Safeway’s contractors did not accept union proposals for “Green Cleaning”
standards including non-toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products, the new
agreement makes important progress towards remedying unsafe and unhealthy
conditions in Safeway stores.  The agreement will implement a joint labor-management solution to health and safety problems, so that janitors can raise issues such as a lack of
safety training in regular Labor-Management meetings.  Under the new agreement,
Safeway’s contractors also agreed to provide information to the union regarding health
effects of the chemicals and cleaning products used in the stores, provide necessary
safety equipment as required by law, and to work with Safeway to quickly replace
malfunctioning janitorial equipment. The agreement also includes a provision to establish
a streamlined, efficient process for injured janitors to file workers’ compensation claims,
which will reduce overall costs for workers compensation.

“It’s a major positive that janitors will now be able to use the Labor-Management
partnership process to resolve health and safety issues,” said Neri Macuixtle, a janitor
and member of the Bargaining Committee. “We will also continue calling on both
Safeway and the contractors to support sustainable practices in the workplace, and
continue to push for stronger Green Cleaning standards in the future.”

The new union contract will be in effect until October 31, 2012.  The janitors’ last
collective bargaining agreement expired on October 31, 2009.

Overall, the ratified agreement represents a significant protection of janitors’ benefits.
The Safeway’s contractors’ initial proposals to eliminate dental care benefits, sharply
increase the number of hours of work necessary to be eligible for healthcare coverage,
eliminate family healthcare coverage for newly-hired janitors, unilaterally take janitors out
of their pension plan, freeze wages for one year, and lower starting pay for newly hired
janitors, were dropped, as the union and Safeway’s contractors moved towards a
tentative agreement.

The new agreement also includes provisions to maintain benefits for paid vacation sick,
funeral and jury-duty leave, expand other types of unpaid leave, strengthen seniority
protections and rights, and improve rights for worker-retention during changes between
janitorial contractors. The agreement also establishes employer contributions to a
training fund for janitors, and maintains contributions for the industry-investigation fund.

The ratification of the agreement comes after a five-month struggle, in which hundreds of
janitors mobilized with rallies, demonstrations, petitions and work stoppages across the
Northern California region.  More than 150 janitors in geographic areas ranging from
Salinas, Santa Rosa, Oakland, San Francisco, Stockton, to San Jose stopped work on
February 10 and 18 to protest intimidation by Safeway’s contractors, and demand a fair
union contract.

As union contract negotiations between janitors who clean Northern California Safeway supermarkets and Safeway’s janitorial services contractors continue into their fifth month, dozens of janitors stopped work on the night of Wednesday, February 10.  The janitors were motivated by their frustration with the contractors’ unfair intimidation of workers, including illegal threats of termination, and proposals to sharply reduce standards for wages and benefits.

“I walked out because Safeway’s janitorial contractors are not working with us to negotiate a contract which will remedy unsafe and unhealthy conditions in the stores, and help us support and build a life for our families,” said Leodegario Acevedo, a janitor in Santa Rosa.  “I am standing up for my rights.”

Contract negotiations between SEIU United Service Workers West, Local 1877, the labor union of 450 janitors at Northern California Safeway supermarkets, and Safeway’s janitorial services contractors ABM, Crystal, Premier, and AMS, have been ongoing since October 2009.   During negotiations, the group of four contractors has proposed a large increase in the number of hours of work necessary to be eligible for healthcare benefits, wage increases of only 10 cents per year, and the right to unilaterally take janitors out of their pension plan.  For newly hired janitors, the Safeway contractors have also proposed to eliminate dental care benefits, increase the waiting period for medical coverage, and lower starting pay to just $8.60/hour.

The janitors at Safeway stores are currently paid just $10.24 per hour, on average, while Safeway, Inc. is the third-largest U.S. supermarket chain, with an estimated $ 44.8 billion in annual sales and consistent profits in recent years.

Safety and health are also at issue in the contract negotiations, as the Safeway contractors flatly refused to add “Green Cleaning” standards to the contract, and refused to provide complete critical information to the union on health and safety and hours of work. Despite the fact that janitors at Safeway currently use toxic industrial cleaning chemicals that cause serious health problems, and may pose a risk to food safety and supermarket customers’ health, both the contractors and Safeway officials have been unwilling to take responsibility for the problems, claiming that health and safety conditions fall under the other party’s jurisdiction.

“Safeway wants to be seen as a responsible, neighborhood grocery store, yet they sit quietly by while their contractors propose cuts to vital benefits and refuse to assure safe working conditions for the janitors who clean their facilities,” said Denise Solis, SEIU Local 1877 Northern California Vice President. “Ultimately, both Safeway and their individual contractors are responsible for making supermarkets safe, clean and green.”

In the wake of the work stoppage, janitors vow to continue to mobilize against the contractors’ proposed benefit cuts and unfair intimidation of workers, and speak out against Safeway’s silence on the issues.

While more bargaining dates between SEIU-USWW and the Safeway contractors are set for the coming weeks, the janitors may vote soon on whether or not to authorize their bargaining committee to call an unfair labor practice strike. The janitors’ last extension of their collective bargaining agreement with the contractors expired on Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

“It’s insulting to sit at the bargaining table with Safeway’s contractors, and hear them say that Safeway won’t give them the money to increase our poverty wages, maintain our healthcare benefits, safeguard our safety and health, and protect their own customers,” said Neri Macuixtle, a janitor in Salinas and member of the Bargaining Committee. “Safeway must own up to their responsibility to ensure quality jobs, safe food, and healthy communities.”

On Thursday, January 21, janitors who clean Northern California supermarkets will demonstrate outside of two Safeway stores in North Oakland, calling on Safeway’s janitorial contractors to implement “Green Cleaning” standards that would mitigate health and safety risks associated with current toxic cleaning products. The janitors will protest the contractors’ opposition to “Green Cleaning” proposals, and Safeway’s refusal to engage them on the issue.

“The chemicals we use to clean the Safeway stores are very strong, and I’m afraid they are hurting my health and getting on the food, from the air,” said Preciliano Gonzaga, a janitor at the Safeway store on Broadway in North Oakland.

The demonstration comes as Safeway’s plans to expand its two stores in North Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood are facing opposition from community stakeholders concerned about potential negative impacts on public safety and the environment.

“If Safeway wants to expand its stores in our community, they must take meaningful steps to protect the health and safety of workers, customers, and the environment,” said Denise Solis, SEIU Local 1877 Northern California Vice President.  “It’s time for Safeway to drop toxic cleaning chemicals and adopt Green Cleaning standards.”

Thursday, January 21, 2010

• 12:00 – 12:45pm: Safeway, 6310 College Avenue, (intersection of Claremont Avenue and College Avenue), Oakland, CA

• 12:45 – 1:30pm: Safeway, 5130 Broadway (in shopping center on the corner of Broadway and Pleasant Valley Road), Oakland, CA

Check out today’s blog on the California Progress Report - one of California’s most widely-read progressive political news blogs -  on the struggle to implement Green Cleaning standards in Northern California’s leading supermarkets.

Safeway, Save Mart, and their contractors are resisting calls from supermarket janitors and a growing coalition of environmental, health and safety, and community groups to adopt Green Cleaning standards.  The markets refuse to schedule frequent, timely negotiation sessions with janitors, or engage in industry-wide discussions over Green Cleaning and other proposals.

The longer supermarkets postpone discussions over Green Cleaning, the worse the consequences for janitors, other supermarket workers, and the public. CLICK HERE to read the full article.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the supermarket safety rally in San Francisco on November 5.  If you couldn’t make it, check out these links to learn what bloggers and journalists are saying about our efforts to push for Greener, Safer Cleaning practices in our neighborhood Supermarkets!

Janitors call for ‘green’ cleaning
People’s Weekly World
Marilyn Bechtel
November 7, 2009

Janitors seek ban on toxic cleaners used by supermarkets
AOL DailyFinance
Alex Salkever
Nov 6, 2009

Going for Green: Calif. Janitors Keep Pushing for Safety Standards
In These Times
R.M. Arrieta
November 5, 2009

Rally to Support Green Jobs for Janitors
SF Political Buzz Examiner
Shikha Hamilton
November 5, 2009

Smells like green spirit
San Francisco Chronicle “Thin Green Line” blog
Cameron Scott
November 4, 2009

Workers rally for a green workplace
Examiner
Kristine Jaekel Wilfong
November 4, 200

Letter to the Editor: Janitors concerned about toxic cleaners
Alameda Sun
October 29, 2009

Green Supermarkets? Janitors Push for Next Wave of Worker / Environmental Protections
Beyond Chron
Randy Shaw
October 23, 2009

Green 960 AM
Daily Labor Report
October 22, 2009

Subcontracted Janitors Challenge Grocery Chains on Health, Safety Standards
In These Times
Rose Arrieta
October 22, 2009