GREENWICH, Conn.—Cleaners at the Greenwich Office Park won a round Apr. 11 when the National
Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against the complex’s owner alleging that it illegally laid off union cleaners when it bought the property in November 2016. SEIU Local 32BJ had charged that when Fareri Associates acquired the office park, it terminated the unionized cleaning company’s contract and then refused to rehire or consider the applications of most of the 21 workers. “The government’s formal complaint confirms what we’ve said all along—Fareri Associates’ treatment of these workers has been unlawful,” 32BJ district director Juan Hernandez said in a statement. “It has been very hard for my husband and me to provide for ourselves and our family,” said Rosalia Bravo, who had cleaned at Greenwich Office Park for 10 years. “Though I’ve found part-time work, the full-time job not only allowed me to help my two children and two grandchildren, it provided medical insurance for us, which is critical because of my husband’s diabetes and other illnesses.” A hearing before an administrative law judge is scheduled for Aug. 1 in Hartford. Read more
