On Thursday, May 7th, workers walked off the job to demand their employer, Environmental Service Systems, respect their right to be represented by their union Local 32BJ. Unfair Labor Practice charges have been filed against Environmental Service Systems (ESS) for illegally attempting to decertify the employees and take away their union protection.
Many of the office cleaners have worked at Honeywell’s Headquarters at 101 Columbia Road in Morristown for 15 to 30 years. Environmental Service Systems took over the contract on approximately March 6, 2015 and agreed to hire all of the existing employees. Recently, reports surfaced that ESS was attempting to illegally strip workers of their right to a union. 32BJ has attempted to reach out to ESS Officials to find common ground and work on a solution. But there has been no progress.
What: Workers Strike
When: 3pm Media Availability to speak with workers
Where: 101 Columbia Road, Morristown, NJ
Who: Office Cleaners, 32BJ Representatives, and an elected official
With 145,000 members in 11 states–including more than 10,000 in New Jersey–32BJ SEIU is the largest property services union in the country.