Dozens of Queens-based commercial cleaners and security staff held a protest at Gertz Plaza Mall in Jamaica on Tuesday, Nov. 26, decrying contractor L&J Commercial and Residential Services for slashing wages and cutting benefits earlier this month.
Organized by 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the protest aimed to spotlight the plight of workers who say they have been unfairly targeted by the new contractor’s policies.
Gathering at 162-10 Jamaica Ave., the protesters handed out free turkeys and canned goods to the local community while condemning L&J’s decision to reduce hourly wages from $29 to $16 and eliminate critical health insurance benefits. As a symbolic gesture, 32BJ awarded L&J the “Turkey of the Year” award, underscoring the contractor’s actions that workers say have left their livelihoods in jeopardy.
Wharton Realty Group, which owns the mall, recently awarded L&J with a contract for the mall, transferring from union contractor Electra Cleaning Company, which previously oversaw cleaning at Gertz Plaza Mall.
The protest was held in response to the contractor’s November decision to cut wages and health benefits for mall cleaners. 32BJ representatives said the cancellation of health benefits had thrown the lives of workers at Gertz Plaza Mall into uncertainty, stating that one worker may be forced to cancel surgery in December over the loss of health insurance.
Representatives from the offices of Council Member Dr. Nantasha Williams and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards also attended Tuesday’s protest against L&J.
Protesters described L&J’s decision to cut wages to $16 per hour and eliminate health benefits as an attack on labor standards in New York City. 32BJ has called for “fair wages” of $30 per hour in addition to quality comprehensive family health insurance, a pension, and protections on the job, stating that such measures would provide workers with a pathway to the middle-class.
In a statement, Williams said she stands in “solidarity” with members of 32BJ who protested outside Gertz Plaza Mall Tuesday.
“It is unacceptable for ownership to undermine hardworking men and women by replacing Electra Cleaning Company, a union contractor providing fair wages and benefits, with a contractor that does not have a union contract and offers poor pay and no protections,” Williams said in a statement.
“Jamaica deserves better. We must prioritize businesses that value their workers and uplift our community. I urge the owners to do the right thing and reinstate Electra Cleaning Company.”
Richards, meanwhile, said he was “proud” to stand with workers against the “indefensible decision” of cutting costs by slashing wages for blue-collar workers.
“Queens is united in defense of our union brothers and sisters, who have spent decades fighting for fairness in the workplace,” Richards said in a statement.
State Sen. Leroy Comrie said cleaning staff at Gertz Plaza Mall had enjoyed “hard-fought standards” prior to the decision to cut benefits and lower wages, stating that it is imperative to “tirelessly defend” those standards.
“Right now, those standards are under attack by L&J Commercial and Residential Services. I call on L&J to commit to paying middle-class wages and benefits for Queen essential workers,” Comrie said in a statement.
Fernande Neas, a 32BJ member who lives in Queens Village with her daughter, son and cousin, and who has worked at Gertz Mall since 2011, described L&J’s decision to cut wages and benefits as an attack on worker’s well-being and livelihoods.
Neas, who underwent a knee replacement surgery last year thanks to affordable health insurance covered by her contract, said she is due to undergo a second knee replacement surgery in December but is now unsure if she can go ahead with the procedure.
“What will I do with no affordable health insurance?” Neas said in a statement Tuesday. “Today, we are standing up for our livelihoods. Essential workers like me and my co-workers demand to be treated with dignity and respect.”
This is not the first time that 32BJ has protested against L&J this year. Cleaning staff and security workers also staged a protest at Gertz Plaza Mall in October before the announcement of the November wage cuts.
In July, meanwhile, five unionized cleaners and a unionized fire safety director who had worked at a building at 529 5th Ave. for decades went on strike to protest L&J Janitorial’s refusal to bargain with 32BJ.
L&J Janitorial took over as a contractor at Fifth City Realty LLC in June and subsequently reduced cleaning wages to $16 per hour. L&J also canceled a number of benefits, while night shift cleaners said their take-home pay was reduced by 60% due to a combination of wage and hour reductions.
Protesters added that four union security officers also lost their jobs after the takeover.
L&J President Luis Vigoya declined to comment on Tuesday’s protest.
