The National Labor Relations Board has charged local cleaning contractor American Painting and Janitorial Co. with violating federal law by threatening, interrogating and placing under surveillance janitors who are trying to unionize at a Rosslyn office building.
The complaints originated from the local branch of the Service Employees International Union, which represents 9,000 cleaning service workers in the D.C. area and is currently organizing workers in Arlington.
AP&J supervisor Fidel Olego told the cleaning workers at 1621 North Kent St. that he would call the police if they refused to stop talking to union representatives, according to the NLRB filing.
He also “engaged in surveillance of employees” who were signing union authorization cards, the complaint alleged.
Unionizing is protected under federal law.
“My boss really got furious with me when he saw the man from the union,” said Zulma Palacios, an AP&J employee at the Rosslyn building who added that employees were receptive to SEIU and are planning to organize. “When he saw us talking to him he said, ‘Don’t listen to this guy, go ahead and go home.’”
AP&J, which contracts with about 20 Arlington buildings, is a family-owned company based inArlington that employs 250 cleaning workers.
“I think the union filed seven complaints in total,” AP&J Vice President Jose Olego said. “Five have been dismissed — two still exist. We feel there’s no merit to it.”
The building in question is owned by local real estate giant Vornado/Charles E. Smith, which contracts with AP&J for several of its other buildings.
A Vornado spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter.
An administrative law judge will hear the case in January.
