Cleaners and Supporters Rally at TD Centre for Respect and Good Jobs

HALIFAX, NS--(Marketwired - July 03, 2015) - Cleaners and their supporters will gather to hold a rally today to protest the loss of improving union jobs and the lowering of industry standards in Halifax.

After years of going without, cleaners in Halifax are finally getting employer paid health benefits through their SEIU Local 2 collective bargaining agreement starting this month. However, the long and hard ongoing struggle to raise standards continues. Cleaners at the TD Centre, are being shipped out by property management, and a non-union company has been retained.

WHAT: RALLY FOR RESPECT & GOOD JOBS

WHEN: TODAY @ 12 PM

WHERE: CORNER OF BARRINGTON ST. AND GEORGE ST. IN DOWNTOWN HALIFAX (WILL GATHER IN PARK ACROSS THE STREET)

SPEAKERS

• Maureen Macdonald - Interim Leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party
• Omar Joof - Cleaner and Justice for Janitors Leader
• Tony Tracy - Atlantic Regional Rep for the Canadian Labour Congress
• Kyle Kyle Buott - President of the Halifax- Dartmouth & District Labour Council
• Jackqueline Swaine - SEIU Local 2, Branch Nova Scotia

TD Bank, the anchor tenant at 1785 Barrington St., made over $2 billion in the first quarter of this year. The disparity between cleaners who struggle to make ends meet and wealthy bank executives couldn’t be clearer than they are today.

The incoming cleaning company, Deep Down Cleaning Services Limited, has yet to respond to the union’s request for union recognition at the building. SEIU is also asking the contractor to respect the existing collective bargaining agreement. This would provide the new cleaners at the TD Centre just cause protection, scheduled raises, and the possibility to qualify for employer paid health benefits.

TD has the opportunity and the responsibility as a member of this community, to be part of the solution. By saying nothing, they are part of the problem.