Business & Tech

Union Workers Protest at Glenpointe Complex

Labor union says Glenpointe complex staff replaced by non-unionized workers.

Union workers rallied at Glenpointe Tuesday to protest the firing of 18 office cleaners who were replaced by non-union workers, labor organizers said.

The union workers lost their jobs when Glenpointe owner Sanzari Enterprises replaced its cleaning contractor and brought in a non-unionized firm to clean the Frank Burr Boulevard complex, said Kevin Brown, New Jersey Director of 32BJ Service Employees International Union.

“The cleaners, some of whom had been working at the building for years, were abruptly fired on September 1st when the building’s owner, Sanzari Enterprises, replaced its union cleaning contractor with a non-union contractor that is ironically named Union Building Services,” the union said in a statement.

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“This kind of callous disregard for workers is a big reason why so many working families are struggling today,” Brown said.

Lydia Luna, who cleaned bathrooms at Glenpointe for five years, said she was worried about getting healthcare after losing her union job.  Luna suffers from osteoporosis and asthma, and is currently searching for a new job.

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“What we heard is the tenants are very concerned about what happened,” Luna said through a translator at the rally.

The group of mostly Hispanic workers carried signs and chanted slogans in Spanish as the occasional passing motorist honked in support.  Glenpointe security guards called police at one point, but the protestors only had to move a few feet onto the sidewalk.

Brown, the union director, said discussions had occurred with Sanzari but there was no sign the company would hire the union workers.   

The new non-union firm, Union Building Services, has refused to hire any of the 18 former cleaners, Brown said.

Arthur Solari, vice president of sales at UBS, said Sanzari had requested a non-union workforce. The unionized firm backed out of its contract at the complex, according to Solari.

Sanzari Enterprises did not return calls for comment Tuesday.


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