BON MACY'S FAILS EMPLOYEES' HEALTH-CARE NEEDS
from SEIU Local 6
While Service Employees International Union Local 6 affirms the value of
the The Bon Macy's "Charge for a Change" campaign to promote breast
cancer awareness, we note the incredible irony that the store is failing
to address the health-care needs of its own janitors.
After four rounds of contract negotiations with SEIU Local 6 janitors,
The Bon is sending a message that the health of its janitors is not
worth $2.41 per hour. That is the amount the store is balking at paying
for full family health-care, including dental and short-term disability,
even though over a dozen janitorial firms have already agreed to pay
this rate.
"I've been cleaning nasty Bon toilets at 5:00am every work day for over
17 years," said Elaine Johnson, a Bon janitor at South Center who is a
member of the union's negotiating team. "It's bad enough that the store
only pays me $9.80 per hour, but their refusal to pay for my medical
coverage makes me sick!"
Janitorial firms in the Seattle area who do pay for the family insurance
for their janitors and their families include American Building
Maintenance, Metropolitan Building, Dependable Building Maintenance,
Diamond Janitorial, Dunn Janitorial, Pacific Building, Seattle Building
Maintenance, and others.
All of these unionized contractors also pay wages for janitors at a much
higher rate than The Bon does.
"The Bon tries to project a compassionate, responsible image to the
community," said Sergio Salinas, President of SEIU Local 6, "Yet the
reality of their internal practices harshly contradicts their public
relations."
"The Bon can afford to purchase full-page color ads in the Sunday
Seattle Times to promote breast cancer awareness like it did on October
3, yet it can't pay janitors' health costs of $2.41 per hour? For crying
out loud!" added Sarah Luthens, lead negotiator for the union janitors.
As of this writing, the next round of contract negotiations has not been
scheduled. A federal mediator, Andy Hall, has been called in for
assistance.
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