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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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, [...]