Media Advisory: Rally Planned as Entire Cleaning Staff Terminated After New Cleaning Company Takes Over Toronto Office Building

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 30, 2012) -

WHAT: Rally to Protest Illegal Terminations

WHEN: Monday April 2nd @ 12:30 PM

WHERE: 8 King St. East, Toronto (just east of Yonge St., north side)

A rally will be held outside 8 and 10 King St. East in Toronto by the building's terminated cleaners and their supporters. They are calling on the new cleaning contractor, Amphora Maintenance Services, to reinstate the employees and respect their wishes to have a voice at work.

"I've been in this building for 10 years and I've never experienced anything like this with any company," said Halina Urbanowicz. "I'm really disappointed with what's going on. It's not right what they are doing."

Earlier this month nine cleaners, including Urbanowicz, were terminated without notice when they showed up for work. The workers say an Amphora Maintenance Services representative told them there were no positions available for them.

The cleaners had recently won modest improvements to their wages and vacation pay rates and were scheduled to begin receiving benefits this summer. Now they've not only lost all those improvements, they've lost their jobs.

An Unfair Labour Practice (ULP) complaint has been filed with the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB). The Legal complaint alleges Amphora terminated the employees after the company learned about their application for certification. The employees were unionized at the site with the previous cleaning contractor.

A meeting between the company and SEIU Local 2, the workers' representatives, is scheduled to take place at the OLRB on Wednesday April 4th. To date, two workers have been reinstated.

Rally Speakers:

• Former 8/10 King St. East cleaners
  
  
• Cam Nelson - President SEIU Local 2
  
  
• Preethy Sivakumar - Good Jobs for All Coalition
  
  

For more information, please visit www.JusticeforJanitors.ca.

The Service Employees International Union is the largest and fastest growing union in North America, with 100,000 workers in Canada and two million workers across Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico.