Lynn cleaning co. worker files charge against labor union

LYNN – A 15-year employee of Complete Cleaning Co. of Lynn filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on March 29 against Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 615 of Boston, alleging that SEIU organizers have attempted to coerce Complete Cleaning workers to organize.Jairo Hernandez of Lynn on Monday said he filed the complaint with the NLRB on behalf of himself and his coworkers. He claimed SEIU representatives have used fear tactics in an effort to convince Complete Cleaning workers to unionize.?There has never been a vote (to unionize) but they?re trying to force us,” Hernandez said. “They have gone to a lot of the (employees?) houses and I don?t know how they got the addresses ? We?re tired of this.Hernandez said, “One lady (from SEIU) was telling (workers) that if they didn?t sign the paper (in favor of unionizing) they would lose their job. I don?t think that?s fair.”Hernandez said he has worked for Complete Cleaning for 15 years “and I have been treated well.?If a company doesn?t treat you well, you can just walk away,” he said. “I started working here when I was 17 and I?m 32 now.”Last June, however, a handful of Complete Cleaning workers picketed outside the General Electric River Works Plant – which is serviced by Complete Cleaning – in protest of wages and lack of holidays, sick days and health insurance.SEIU Local 615 Secretary Treasurer Peter Rider told The Daily Item at the time of that demonstration that Complete Cleaning workers asked the SEIU the prior winter for help improving work conditions.Complete Cleaning, 548 Chestnut St., was established in 1967 and provides public and private contract janitorial services. The company is owned by Gary Beaver and employs about 80 workers.A message left for Beaver was not returned on Monday; nor was a message left with SEIU Local 615 President Rocio Saenz returned on Monday.Hernandez filed the complaint with legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, which described itself in an emailed press release about the Lynn case as “a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses.”According to the press release, SEIU Local 615 officials claim monopoly bargaining privileges over Complete Cleaning?s workers even though workers nearly unanimously oppose the union hierarchy in their workplace. Under federal law, it is illegal for a union to claim monopoly bargaining status over a workplace without majority employee support.According to the press release, SEIU filed federal charges against Complete Cleaning in an attempt to force the employer to negotiate a contact with the union.?SEIU officials are pulling out all the stops to force their so-called ?representation? – and with it forced dues payments n down workers? throats,” said Mark Mix, President of National Right to Work, in the press release. “Massachusetts desperately needs a Right to Work law to make it less difficult for workers to keep predatory union organizers in check.”Anthony T. Riedel of the National Right To Work provided additional comments about the Complete Cleaning workers? NLRB complaint, in e-mailed responses to questions from The Daily Item.?The workers never voted. The SEIU and Complete Cleaning agreed that if the union could come up with 50 percent plus one, then the company would recognize the union. The union did not come close and is now alleging the company is breaking the law by not recognizing them,” Riedel said.He added, “The workers are caught in the middle of all this: The company sells the workers out by agreeing to a deal with the SEIU, then when the SEIU couldn?t uphold its end of the bargain of showing majority support, the union seeks to bully the company into recognizing it as the workers? representative. The workers oppose the union organizing campaign.”