A group of 44 contracted cleaners employed by Nelson Service Systems walked off the job Tuesday morning at six Con Edison locations in Manhattan.
Their bold move comes in response to accusations of unfair labor practices against their employer, filed with the National Labor Relations Board by the union 32BJ SEIU, one of New York’s leading labor unions.
Workers allege that Nelson has retaliated against them for their union activities by enforcing a new, restrictive dress code, igniting a rallying cry for fair treatment and solidarity.
To bolster their efforts and draw public attention to their cause, the group including striking workers, Denis Johnston, executive vice president of 32BJ SEIU, and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine staged a rally on Jan. 7 outside Con Edison’s headquarters.
“The working people who keep Con Edison offices clean and safely operating are essential workers. They deserve some respect,” Johnston said. “Unfortunately, Nelson Services Systems, the contractor who employs these workers, is undercutting labor standards that organized blue-collar New Yorkers have fought decades to establish for the professional cleaning service sector.”
The strike involves workers at several key Con Edison sites, including the company’s headquarters at 4 Irving Place, as well as the customer service center and four substations scattered across the borough.
A representative with Con Edison deferred the matter to Nelson Service Systems.
“Our contract with Nelson Services requires that their workers are employed in accordance with all applicable labor and employment laws. Nelson Services is a vendor, this is a dispute between the vendor and its employees. Con Edison is not involved,” the spokesperson told amNewYork Metro.
Nelson Service Systems did not respond to amNewYork Metro’s request for comment.
The workers allege that they face daunting challenges in their daily tasks—lifting heavy items and ensuring cleanliness in high-traffic areas—and they also receive minimal compensation and lack basic benefits such as health insurance.
Sergio Centeno, a Nelson employee who works at 4 Irving Plaza and rents an apartment with his wife and son in Jackson Heights, is rallying for more respect from his employers.
“I moved to New York City from Peru in 2003, when I was 40 years old. My hope was to build a life that would allow me to support my family. I didn’t think it was too much to ask. We are essential workers who clean and maintain offices. The work is backbreaking. I climb stairs, lift heavy bags, drag large carpets, scrub surfaces, dust ceilings and polish floors,” Centeno said.
Centeno, who has no health insurance, works 40 hours per week for Nelson, making minimum wage, and another 20 hours per week at a second cleaning job to help support his son.
“We are fighting for a better life for our families. We are fighting to improve our lives. We are fighting for our dignity. We are exercising our rights. We are on strike today to demand dignity and to demand that Nelson respect our rights,” he said.
Another striking worker, Maria Corder, echoed Centeno’s sentiments, emphasizing the need for recognition and fair labor practices.
“We want our work and our rights to be recognized. We work hard, and we have the right to be organized as workers. We know that if we fight together, organized and with unity, we can win a better future. That is how we fight. We fight together,” Corder said. “That is when anything is possible.”
As the strike unfolds, attention is drawn to the NLRB’s ongoing investigation into Nelson Service Systems’ alleged retaliation. This investigation threatens to exacerbate the already tense relationship between contractors and workers in New York’s commercial cleaning sector.
