Kwame Patterson: 312-371-2485
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Matt Nerzig: 212-539-2882
New York, NY –Workers who keep the Con Edison power plants clean rallied today with hundreds of supporters, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and other elected officials in Union Square, a block from Con Ed headquarters, to demand CEO Kevin Burke hire contractors that provide workers the wages and benefits they need to support their families. Some of the 150 cleaners working for contractors at the Con Ed plants earn as little as $8.50 an hour and receive no meaningful benefits.
“Con Ed’s CEO makes millions while some workers who clean Con Ed facilities are relying on public assistance to support their families,” said Hector Figueroa, Secretary Treasurer of 32BJ. “It’s time for Con Ed to put some energy into hiring contractors that provide workers with what they need to make a living.”
Con Edison operates power generation plants, offices and electrical substations across New York City through its subsidiary, Con Edison of New York. These power plants, offices and stations are cleaned by cleaning contractors including: Nelson Services, Apple Maintenance, T&T Cleaning and Janitorial, Accent Maintenance, and Martinez Cleaning.
Fernando Cruz, a cleaner who has been working at a Con Ed plant for about a year, spoke to the crowd about his family’s dependence on food stamps. Cruz earns $8.50 an hour.
“I work at Con Ed but need food stamps to get by,” Cruz said.
Several State and City elected officials, including Assembly members Linda Rosenthal and Adriano Espaillat and Council members Miguel Martinez and Letitia James, have written letters to Con Ed’s Chief Executive Officer Kevin Burke urging the energy company, which is supervised by the state, to hire responsible contractors.
“Although the cleaners are not direct employees of Con Edison, as a publically-regulated utility, your company has an obligation to ensure that it hires responsible contractors that employ workers at reasonable, livable wages with health benefits,” wrote State Senator Thomas K. Duane in his letter to Burke.
“I believe that a public utility overseen by New York State should do better than that for those [who] contribute to the service,” wrote Councilwoman Rosie Mendez.
With more than 110,000 members in nine states and Washington D.C., including 70,000 in the New York area, 32BJ is the largest property service union in the country.
