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    backbreaking

    PROFITS

    How Minnesota Janitors are Forced toPay for Wage Increases with

    Unsafe Workloads

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    SEIU Local 26 is Minnesotas Property Services Union. We are janitors,

    security officers and window cleaners, more than 6,000 strong in theTwin Cities metro area. The Service Employees International Union is anorganization of 2 million members across North America, united by thebelief in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide.We are dedicated to improving the lives of workers and families andcreating a more just and humane society.

    1- 855-265 6225

    1620 Central Avenue NE, Suite 177 Minneapolis, MN 55413

    www.seiu26.org

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    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    In the Twin Cities, as in the rest of the United States,the janitorial industry has undergone massivesubcontracting in the last three decades, dramaticallychanging the way our buildings and facilities are

    cleaned and maintained.

    How has subcontracting affected janitors?

    The average office dweller, customer or passerby may

    not notice, but when a buildings cleaning workers aresubcontracted, instead of directly hired, the changesthat occur are significant, and they have repercussionsfor individuals, families and communities.

    profits

    WORKLOADback breaking

    Publication Date: January 2016

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    LOWER WAGES

    Contractor cleaning companies are able to offer

    janitorial services at a lower prices by paying

    contracted janitors less than directly hired janitors.

    VANISHING

    BENEFITS

    Before subcontracting, janitors had free healthcare,

    pensions and more sick and vacation days.

    Extreme Workloads

    and DangerousWorkiNG ConDITIONS

    Fewer janitors are hired to clean the same

    buildings, so janitors are pushed to cleanmore than they ever have.

    These factors lead to hard times for janitors and their communities.

    Vulnerable

    families

    Injuries and overexertion cause janitors to stay home from

    work. For low-wage families, a few days without pay can

    be devastating.

    Destabilized

    Communities

    Missed paychecks and mounting medical bills force

    families to cut back on spending. That can mean

    skipping meals and turning off the heat. It can even

    mean having to choose between paying the bills and

    paying for medication, weakening the health of the

    people in a community, and its economy.

    Racial disparities

    & inequity

    Not long ago, janitorial work offered good

    jobs and benefits when the workforce was

    predominantly white. Today, more than 90% of

    SEIU Local 26 janitors are people of color and

    theyre doing the same work

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    In a staterecognized for its appalling racial inequalities, addressing these issues would be abig step forward in closing the disparities gaps that plague the Twin Cities. Service EmployeesInternational Union (SEIU) Local 26 recommends the following steps to reverse these dangeroustrends:

    Executive Summary & Overview |4

    Worker-centered enforcement of safety rules. Walkthroughs andinformation for janitors to resolve issues at worksite where they knowbest. Janitors are experts in their field, they know what works, whatdoesnt, what can be accomplished safely and when theyre being pushedto their limits. Workload walkthroughs with janitor, union steward andsupervisor are a necessary tool to resolve issues at worksite.

    Sustainable staffing levels. Many janitors clean the equivalent of morethan 20 houses every night. Establishing reasonable staffing levels, suchas 40,000 square feet per night and 225 bathroom units, would ensure

    manageable workloads and prevent on-the-job injuries.

    Data driven analysis of how to improve. Fielding an academic studyfrom the University of Minnesota to evaluate ergonomic best practicesand asses the effects of workload on janitors.

    The Twin Cities commercial real estate market is flourishing, but the janitors who clean andmaintain office buildings are still on hard times. In the last decade, janitorial services contractorshave reduced the number of janitors, forcing the remaining workforce to cover more territoryleading to injuries and high stress for workers. The work is labor intensive, and fast-paced,demanding heavy lifting, repetitive motions, bending and crouching in unnatural positions.Building cleaning and maintenance occupations had the highest rate of days-away-from-workdue to on-the-job injury or illness in Minnesota during 2014, nearly three times the average of

    all private sector occupations.1

    The cleaning industry is in crisis and janitors are facing the worst of it. Service EmployeesInternational Union Local 26 janitorial members have experienced drastic increases in workload;many say the changes began more than 30 years ago, when building owners started contractingout cleaning services rather than employing those workers directly. Since then, the numberof janitors cleaning many of the commercial office buildings in the Twin Cities has fallen andcontinues to fall.

    overview

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    Baker Center,in downtown Minneapolis, is the ninth largest office complex in the TwinCities. Prior to the mid-eighties, Baker Centers building cleaners were hired as direct employeesto the building owner. Huge changes swept the industry when contracting companies begantaking over cleaning duties of commercial office space.

    Jessica Hansen started as a janitor in 1977 when she was hired by Marsden Building Maintenanceto clean office buildings in downtown Minneapolis. She was transferred to Baker Center in1984, shortly after Marsden took over. Most of her Baker Center coworkers were formerly directemployees who had become subcontracted Marsden employees overnight. At least 10 janitorswere terminated immediately with the takeover.2Before subcontracting, certain janitors wereassigned to only clean restrooms, a few others worked on weekends to cover tasks that requireperiodic maintenance. When those shifts were eliminated, the work was divided among theremaining employees, causing a huge increase in workload, a shift in workplace culture and noincrease in pay. More than 30 years ago, Jessicas daily route consisted of cleaning one entirefloor in 8 hours. Today, she has to clean the same amount in four and a half hours to have time

    to finish the rest of her route. Other janitors who clean Baker Center are expected to cleantwo floors and four restrooms. Janitors used to have sufficient time to get to know the peoplethey worked with, they helped each other out, and they felt comfortable asking for help whenthey needed it. It was not easy work, but it was not strenuous. Jessica says the atmosphere haschanged now, janitors are always rushing to finish their work, they hardly say hello to oneanother. Theyre overworked, overstressed and exhausted, and its taking a toll on their bodiesand health.

    Jessica

    Hansen

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    Racial demographics of the workforce changed significantly with subcontracting. In 1984,Jessicas coworkers were mostly white, a few were black and the majority were U.S. born. Thathas changed over time as contractors have recruited a workforce mostly consisting of peopleof color, immigrants and women. Good paying janitorial jobs with pensions and free healthcaredisappeared with subcontractors offering less and less, and immigrant workers had to acceptwork for lower pay and fewer benefits than American-born workers. This race to the bottommeant vulnerable, more exploited populations were forced to take jobs Americans were nolonger willing to do. Today, more than 90% of the janitorial membership of Local 26 are peopleof color, the majority being immigrants from Latin America, East Africa and Southeast Asia.3

    Subcontracting causes confusion, especially about who is responsible for janitors low-wagesand working conditions, and the destruction of communities they cause. Legally, the cleaningcontractor is the employer, but the conditions of the contract are at the mercy of the buildingowner. When a building owner has a cleaning job to fill, they want to pay the least for janitoriaservice. To secure a contract, cleaning companies must prove that they can provide the services

    required for the cheapest price, which usually comes down to either paying workers less, orassigning fewer workers to complete the job.

    Without janitors to disinfect objects and surfaces, clear trash and perform maintenance tomake workspaces comfortable, employees workdays would be much more hazardous, uncleanand unpleasant. Generally, people do not think of janitorial work as a dangerous or hazardousoccupation, but research and labor statistics demonstrate that janitors have numerous exposuresto both chemical and physical risks, and have a high rate of injury and illness. There were39,000 incidences of occupational illnesses and injury among janitors in 2013, the 7th mostincidence occurring occupation in the United States.4Despite these alarming trends, there is

    a lack of research addressing the relationships between these exposures and health effects, ordocumentation of injury and illness rates in the industry over time.

    Local 26 member surveys have shown that more than 64% of janitors reported feeling painsometimes or often, with half saying their workload has gone up since the last contract in2012. Janitors made gains by strengthening their contract, but have had to pay for it in increasedworkload.

    To maintain the same level of cleanliness and maintenance with fewer people doing the work,they have to work harder, faster and complete more tasks than ever before and janitors are being

    pushed to their limits. In fact, workers across industries are struggling under great pressure toperform more and more work with stagnant or even reduced pay. This is a great mess of ourtime, US workers are more productive than ever, making companies more profitable, withoutadequate pay and mounting stress.

    Overview| 6

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    Prior to the 1970s, most building owners hired their janitorial staff directly. By the 1980s,the industry had largely shifted to a highly-competitive contracted one in which janitorsbecame employees of contractors, not buildings, and contractors faced pressures to hold down

    janitors wages and benets to win accounts. Today, when a cleaning contract comes up forbid, building owners and property managers typically go with the lowest bidder, and since

    janitorial work does not vary greatly between companies, the most signicant expense beingemployee wages, cleaning contractors are forced to cut stang and increase productivity to

    offer the lowest bid. Additionally, building owners maintain a degree of separation from low-wage, vulnerable workers and responsibility to their health and safety.

    Fewer Workers,

    More Work

    In 1982, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) had a union contractwith Local 26 janitors, and a separate contract was signed between the Contract Cleanersand the union. At this time, full time general cleaners were earning $6.27 per hour ($15.42in todays wages) in the BOMA contract, while contracted cleaners were earning $4.99per hour (equal to $12.27 today).8

    Many Twin Cities janitors have experienced a decrease in the number of workers tasked toclean the buildings they work in. Below is a chart demonstrating the decreases in stang thatoccurred in Twin Cities buildings between 2006 and 2015:5

    Decrease in Number of Cleaners in Twin Cities Building

    80

    60

    40

    20

    0

    Ameripr

    iseCS

    C

    BakerCe

    nter

    Breme

    rTow

    er

    NLOP

    RBCP

    laza

    2006GeneralCleaners

    2015General

    Cleaners

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    Janitors are working to the point of overexertion and injury.

    Profits Are High,

    Injuries Too

    One day the client complained about the oor I clean and I told my supervisor itstoo much work for one shift, he needs to cut the workload. This supervisor toldme to vacuum with one hand, mop with the other and dust with your mouth.No one deserves this treatment, but people are intimidated to discuss workload oreven report when they get injured.-Lucia, Harvard Janitor who cleans RBC Plaza

    A few years ago, when everyone at my building was part-time, I used to clean onewhole oor in 5 hours, we even had a 30 minute break. Now we have to clean 4oors in 8 hours, and many nights I cant even take my break or I wont nish allmy work. If I dont nish my job and a client complains, there are consequences.-Anonymous ABM Janitor who cleans Normandale Lakes Oce Park

    Janitors described the process when they speak up about their high workload. If a workerbelieves their workload is too much to complete during their shift and their supervisor choosesto address the problem, they can conduct a walkthrough of the route to assess workloadIf the supervisor determines it is too much work, they can cut part of the route or omitdetailing tasks and come to a new agreement with the worker. Everyones happy for a whilethen slowly the supervisor starts requiring more detailing, or changing job assignments. Littleby little the supervisor adds more and more work until janitors have to run to complete all

    their tasks on time. Local 26 has tried to address the workload problem on several occasionsso far nothing we have tried has provided long term solutions.

    Were tired and disgusted of playing the same game over again with the company, we needreal, long term solutions.-Anonymous, ABM Janitor who cleans Centennial Lakes Oce Park

    Profits Are High, Injuries Too| 8

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    Besides the inherent environmental and physical injury risks faced by janitors, behavioraand work process issues should be considered. Workers are forced to put the goal, or theprot ahead of their own health and safety. They are so pressured to focus on the the task ofcleaning, with less regard to safety that it fails to be a priority in the hazardous environmentsthey work in.

    Janitors have to vacuum, mop, dust and change trash bags with wrists and shoulders swollendue to repetitive movements. They run back and forth with heavy loads, up and down stairs

    bending and crouching on stiff backs, achy knees and sore legs.

    On average, Local 26 janitors clean the equivalent per square feet of more than 20 housesevery night, while some clean much more than that.9The union recommends that whilethere are not industry standards on square footage for commercial janitorial services, and thevariability between work spaces, cleaning requirements, and available equipment have beenvoiced as reasons for not creating square footage maximums, there are a number of formulasbeing used by the industry to determine how many janitors are needed to clean a given spaceGuidance developed by the U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for EducationStatistics, and the National Forum on Education Statistics provides a ve-tiered system of

    cleanliness and square footage estimates.10

    Cleaning Levels 1 and 2 are normally reserved for hospitals and clinics, day care facilities and foodservice areas. Level 3 cleaning is the normal level for most school facilities. This level is acceptable tomost stakeholders and does not pose a health risk. A janitor can clean approximately 28,000 to 31,000square feet in eight hours to this standard. Level 4 cleaning is not normally considered acceptablein a school environment. A janitor could clean to 45,000 to 50,000 square feet in 8 hours to Level 4standards. Level 5 cleaning can lead to an unhealthy situation. A janitor can clean 85,000 to 90,000square feet in an 8 hour period to Level 5 standards. These guidelines note that the above gures areestimates and that the actual number of square feet that can be cleaned will vary depending on theworkspace.

    Either we take all the safety precautions but then we dont nish the whole job, orwe feel the pressure, we have to hurry and were less careful. Thats when we feelstress and get injured.-Anonymous ABM Janitor who cleans Boston Scientic7

    Four people got injured at the building I clean between April to December, and Iwas one of them. Another coworker and I were working together to carry a heavytrash bag that was full of coffee grounds. Even with two people, it was still tooheavy and I strained my back. Normally, the utility person takes out the big trash

    bags, but they were too busy that day, they werent going get it done, and we knewif there was a client complaint, it would have made things worse for us. Because ofmy injury, I had to be on light duty for weeks, but the worst part is Im in so muchpain, I cant play with my children.-Elia, Able Janitor who cleans Ameriprise CSC

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    Safety Record

    Although janitorial work is not widely thought to be dangerous or hazardous work, statisticsshow that on-the-job injuries occur at extremely high rates. In 2013 there were 39,000 incidencesof occupational illnesses and injury among janitors nationally, the 7th most incidence occurringoccupation. Overexertion and bodily reaction was the most common cause of injury, followed by fallsslips and trips, and repetitive motion involving micro-tasks, or detailing. These injuries caused injuredjanitors to spend on average 21 days-away-from-work that year.11

    Injury incidence rates for major occupation groups generally follow the degree to which theoccupations require physical exertion and exposure to job hazards. Building and grounds cleaningand maintenance occupations had the highest rate of days-away-from-work due to injury or illness inMinnesota during 2014, at nearly three times the average of all private sector occupations.

    Average annual incidence rates of days-away-from-work cases by major

    occupation group, per 10,000 FTE workers, private sector, 2010-2012

    Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

    Transportation and material moving

    Healthcare support

    Construction and extraction

    Installation, maintenance and repair

    ProductionHealthcare practictioners and technical

    Protective Service

    Total, all occupations

    Community and social services

    Personal care and service

    Food preparation and serving related

    Farming, shing and forestry

    Sales and relatedOce and administrative support

    Life, physical and social science

    Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media

    Education, training and library

    Architecture and engineering

    Management

    Computer and mathematical

    Business and nancial operations

    296

    267

    217

    209

    196

    169122

    113

    103

    97

    97

    93

    71

    5551

    49

    44

    41

    24

    19

    11

    7Safety Record | 10

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    When workers experience high injury rates, there is a signicant economic toll. In 2010, janitorsaccounted for more than $4.1 billion in medical and productivity costs in the United States due tooccupational injuries and illness, following only retail salespersons as the second most costly amonglow-wage occupations.12Medical bills made up 37% of those costs, the other 63% were losses inproductivity.

    The burden is further complicated because workers compensation insurance either does not apply orfails to cover many of these costs, which can bankrupt families living on the margin. Insurers coverless than one-fourth of the costs of occupational injuries and illnesses.13The rest falls on workersfamilies, non-workers-compensation health insurers, and taxpayer-funded programs.

    When low-wage workers miss even a few days of pay while recovering from an occupational injuryor illness, it has far-reaching ripple effects on communities. Janitors might have to cut back on theirspending right away, causing a negative impact to the local economy. Families with children mightskip meals or cut back on the heat, money-saving tactics that can put family members at risk.

    Medical and Productivity Costs for Nonfatal Injuries

    & Illnesses and Fatal Injuries & Fatal Diseases

    for the 65 Low-Wage Occupations, 2010

    Low-Wage Occupations Total Costs,Millions

    Medical Costs,Millions

    ProductivityCosts, Millions

    Retail Salespersons

    Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids &Housekeeping Cleaners

    Maids & Housekeeping Cleaners

    Stock Clerks & Order Fillers

    Combined Food Preparation & ServingWorkers, Including Fast Food

    Cooks, Restaraunt

    Cashiers

    Food Preparation Workers

    Driver/Sales Workers

    Home Health Aids

    Waiters and Waitresses

    Personal Care Aids

    $2,779.1697$1,740.1400$4,519.3097

    $4,102.8120

    $3,132.3214

    $2,694.5986

    $2,061.8469

    $1,815.8118

    $1,768.4582

    $1,549.6477

    $1,402.7532

    $1,351.5226

    $1,281.6673

    $1,240.5082

    $1,517.5700

    $1,270.1300

    $1,014.8000

    $867.1400

    $679.4000

    $718.9400

    $625.4300

    $506.8300

    $527.9600

    $532.3600

    $492.0900

    $2,585.2420

    $1,862.1914

    $1,679.7986

    $1,194.7069

    $1,136.4118

    $1,049.5182

    $924.2177

    $895.9232

    $823.5626

    $749.3073

    $748.4282

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    Safety Record | 12

    Even so, its widely believed among janitors that most injuries, even

    serious, go unreported.

    Rarely are janitors provided with a written description of their job requirements, and withoutclarication of which areas theyre responsible for, janitors clean as much as they can, sometimescleaning more than is required of them out of fear. Union stewards have tried to mitigate the problem

    by advising new workers, but often nd that a supervisor has gotten to them rst and warned themnot to get involved with the union, or take advice from stewards.

    When there is a newhire, bosses assignthem more work thanthe last person whodid their job. They

    push everyone pasttheir limits, many

    people are afraid tospeak up out of fearof losing their jobs orfacing intimidationfrom management.

    -Aurora, ABM Janitor

    who cleans Seagate

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    Health

    Janitors also reported high levels of supervisory mistreatment and strong and increasing levels ofstress.14

    When a worker suffers an injury that causes them to spend time away from work, the employer maychoose not to cover that persons shifts and cause further burden to the coworkers who are thenforced to carry the extra load. Some workers feel guilty and return to work without proper time toheal, in order to relieve their struggling coworkers. Others go back to work early because they cantafford to miss another paycheck.

    Ninety-percent of Local 26 janitors are people of color, the majority of them immigrants. Racismsexism and harassment from their supervisors are problems members face; many janitors feel they

    are seen as easy targets, which adds to their mental strain. Countless immigrant workers havearrived from countries or regions in which governments and companies have harshly repressedcollective worker power and unionization.

    We fought for a year and a half to lighten our workload because it was too muchfor us. After a year and a half they got rid of bathrooms from our routes and addedpeople who clean just the bathrooms.

    One day I was reaching to clean a mirror and I felt an unbelievable pain andheard a tearing sound in my back. It was late and I had to nish my work, so Ididnt report the injury until I got home that night at 1:00 am. They gave me anal warning for reporting the injury a few hours late, but they didnt give methe warning until one month after the it happened. I fought the warning with theunion and they changed it from a nal warning to a verbal warning, but I knowit was in retaliation, because I was a strong ghter for the workload resolution.-Ana, SBM Janitor who cleans Medtronic

    The janitorial industrys high turnover rate also can present a problem. Whenever there is highturnover, the chance of workers being well-trained and experienced in processes and proceduresdecreases, and the chance of injury and improper procedures and ineffective methods goes up.15 Whennew janitors come to a jobsite and are tasked to work without a written job description designatingwhat areas theyre responsible for, they clean more than is required of them out of fear, and withoutproper training this can be dangerous. Furthermore, cleaning companies benet from high turnoverwhen fewer employee injuries are reported to regulatory agencies, because the injured worker is nolonger an employee, therefore avoiding nes or improvement costs. It also provides replacementsfrom injured and tired workers on a continuing basis; and unstable workers are less likely to becomeunion activists.

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    Health| 14

    Contracting janitorial work creates layers of protection between building owners and and janitorsBuilding owners are not held accountable for the wages or working conditions of those who clean uptheir business. Contracting cleaners benet from immigrant workers, not only because immigrantswork for lower wages, but also because of lack of knowledge of rights, resources and languagebarriers to organizing.

    Most people are scared. If management hears you complaining or they know youreworking with the union, they abuse you or even re you. They harass you and giveyou extra assignments as punishment, the worst jobs. They follow you, they botheryou, watch your every move and you cant escape it. Supervisors talk to each otherso even when I transferred to another building, my old supervisor told the newsupervisor about me and I got the same harassment.-Anonymous ABM Janitor who cleans Normandale Lakes16

    Janitors wake up tired, arms achy, legs still sore and swollen from last nights work. Pair that withthe fact that janitors have to worry about facing intimidation from their supervisor, theyre talkeddown to and expected to do more work than their body allows. Janitors say its unrealistic to expectworkers to do a good job and provide great service if they havent even recovered from the previousnights work. Janitors are not alone in this ght; overworked and underpaid is the reality of themajority of American workers.

    Local 26 janitors have fought to be heard by theiremployers about the toll high workload takeson their bodies, and in doing so have been metwith discussion about bottom lines, productivitylevels and nonunion competitors. It is a priorityfor Local 26 to protect the industry againstnonunion companies who try to undermineand undercut our standards, but the data showssignicant drops in janitorial stang levels evenwhen one union cleaning comopany loses abuilding contract to another.17

    Workload and productivity have risen dramatically

    in the last two decades, while pay has not comeclose to keeping up. To rejuvenate a healthy andfair janitorial industry, workers need not be seenas costs that detract from protability, rather asthe engines that drive revenue and growth.

    Lucia, Harvard Janitor who cleans RBC Plaza

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    RecommendationsEmployers would benet from decreasing and limiting janitorial workload. When janitors have ampletime to complete their assigned tasks, they perform better, prevent injury, experience less work stress

    and have fewer days-away-from-work due to illness and injury. No one wants to see people hurton the job, and there are simple ways to reduce workplace injuries and stress for janitors, ensuretenants needs are being met and contribute to the overall health of building assets:

    In Minnesota, where people of color have endured the worst racial disparities in the country, Local 26

    janitors expressed strongly that workload is the biggest issue they face on-the-job today. Janitors makeup a historically exploited workforce of immigrants and people of color, populations vulnerable toracism and abuse. It is crucial to consider how working conditions contribute to stark and devastatinginequalities. Janitors need permanent solutions to the growing workload problem, not temporaryxes. A massive change in the industry is long overdue before another janitor suffers injury whilemaintaining the building of the one worlds most protable companies.

    Worker-centered enforcement of safety rules.Walkthroughs and information forjanitors to resolve issues at worksite where they know best. Janitors are experts in theireld, they know what works, what doesnt, what can be accomplished safely and whentheyre being pushed to their limits. Workload walkthroughs with janitor, union stewardand supervisor are a necessary tool to resolve issues at worksite.

    Sustainable staffing levels. Establishing reasonable stang levels, such as 40,000square feet per night and 225 bathroom units, would ensure manageable workloads andprevent on-the-job injuries.

    Data driven analysis of how to improve. Fielding an academic study from theUniversity of Minnesota to evaluate ergonomic best practices and asses the effectsof workload on janitors.

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    ENDNOTES

    1.2014. Minnesota Workplace Safety Report, 2012. http://www.dli.mn.gov/RS/Pdf/saferpt12.pdf.

    2.Marsden Janitor interview. December 20, 20153. Survey of SEIU Local 26 membership.

    4.2004. Services to Buildings and Dwellings - May 2014 Occupational Employment Statisticshttp://www.bls. gov/oes/current/naics4_561700.htm.

    5.This was determined by comparing stang lists of buildings from 2006 and 2015 andcounting number of full-time, primary shift general cleaners from both years.

    6.ABM Janitor interview. December 18, 2015

    7.ABM Janitor interview, December 17, 2015

    8.Comparison of Agreement Between Building Owners and Managers Association andService Employees Union, Local 26. Term of Agreement 5/1/82 through 4/30/1985 andCollective Bargaining Agreement by and between Minneapolis - St. Paul ServiceContract Cleaners Association and Service Employees Internation al Union Local 26. Termof Agreement 1/1/1982 through 12/31/1984

    9.Determined by dividing the average square footage cleaned per janitor by 1,800 squarefeet, the size of an aver age home.

    10.Executive Summary: Health Impact Review of H-0915.3/15 Concerning CommercialJanitorial Services. Report. June 24, 2015. http://sboh.wa.gov/Portals/7/Doc/HealthImpactReviews/HIR-2015-09-H-0915.3_15. pdf.

    11.2004. Services to Buildings and Dwellings - May 2014 Occupational Employment Statisticshttp://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_561700.htm.

    12.2012. Numbers and Costs of Occupational Injury and Illness in Low-Wage Occupationshttp://defendingscience.org/sites/default/les/Leigh_Low-wage_Workforce.pdf

    13. Ibid

    14.Survey of SEIU Local 26 membership.

    15.2013. Cleaning up safety - Safety+Health Magazine. http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/print/cleaning-up-safety-2.

    16.ABM Janitor interview, December 17, 2015

    17.This was determined by comparing stang lists of buildings from 2006 and 2015 and 1]counting number of full-time, primary shift general cleaners from both years.