MD COPE Report: Office Cleaners Stand Up for Job Security

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Cleaning workers and other property service workers are speaking out in Montgomery County against the revolving door of employers who, under current law, are free to lay them off with no notice. Members of SEIU 32BJ called on the Montgomery County Council at a public hearing last month to pass the Displaced Worker Protection Act, which would mandate a 90-day transition period when a building’s management changes to let workers keep their jobs. This would provide order, stability, and peace of mind to a workforce characterized by low wages and a high rate of job instability, said SEIU 32BJ Capital Area Director Jaime Contreras. “This bill benefits businesses, tenants and workers alike while protecting vulnerable workers from losing income through no fault of their own.” Similar legislation is already in place in other cities, including Washington, DC.