Janitorial Firm Illegally Fired NYC Cleaner, NLRB Judge Rules

A janitorial service company violated federal labor law by threatening, suspending, and ultimately firing a cleaner for her union activities, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled.

Harvard Maintenance Inc. committed the unfair labor practices against cleaner Carina Cruz, who worked at an office building in Manhattan at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Administrative Law Judge Jeffrey Gardner said in his Wednesday ruling.

Cruz was one of about 60 cleaners hired to perform work under a contract Harvard Maintenance had with building management, as well as a separate agreement with PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd. to clean its offices there. ...