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PERTH AMBOY – Dozens of laundry workers gathered Tuesday in the city to demand greater protections against COVID-19 and a new union contract.
The unionized employees at Unitex, a medical apparel laundry processing plant on Washington Street in Perth Amboy, are considered essential workers, according to a news release from Progressive Cities, a consulting firm advocating for grassroots organizing.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the workers have cleaned patient bed linens, gowns and other linens for hospitals and nursing homes that were often contaminated with COVID-19.
"These workers are overwhelmingly Latina immigrants who live in northern New Jersey on low incomes," the release said. "Their essential, demanding jobs cleaning and processing medical linens – gowns, sheets, towels, scrubs, and other washables— have helped ensure the safety of hospital and nursing home patients, staff, and visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz joined the workers in front of the laundry plant on Tuesday, along with leaders of the Laundry, Distribution, and Food Service Joint Board, Workers United/SEIU, the labor union representing these essential workers in contract negotiations.
“During the most challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic, these essential laundry workers here in Perth Amboy have put their lives on the line to keep many hospitals and nursing homes safe," Diaz said. "It’s time for Unitex to deliver a fair new contract that includes increased health and safety protections for these workers, along with continuation of earned pension benefits for current and future employees. No one should have to worry about contracting COVID-19 while on the job."
She said Unitex should immediately address the concerns of the workers, and implement social distancing guidelines.
According to Progressive Cities, Unitex refused to disclose exactly how many employees of its Perth Amboy facility have contracted COVID-19.
Despite a clear requirement to keep employees at least six-feet apart whenever possible, according to Gov. Murphy’s Executive Order 122 that covers all essential businesses, Unitex claims it has “not measured” the distance between employees, according to Progressive Cities.
Unitex is also under investigation by Region 22 of the National Labor Relations Board for alleged unfair labor practices, including illegally threatening to fire its Perth Amboy workers during contract negotiations if they walk off the job, according to the release.
Unitex is a financially successful and growing company that once reported more than $150 million in annual revenue, the release said. It currently owns several laundry plants in New Jersey and New York.
"But instead of rewarding its Perth Amboy employees for their dedication and sacrifice during the COVID-19 pandemic, Unitex is demanding unreasonable concessions on retirement benefits, and treating employee’s safety demands with callous indifference," according to the release.
If Unitex keeps ignoring the health and safety concerns of its Perth Amboy employees, and tries to force concessions on benefits, "the company may force these essential workers to strike," according to the release.
A strike would disrupt the cleaning and availability of medical linens for many hospitals and nursing homes in New Jersey and New York.
Unitex employees in Perth Amboy clean and process medical linens for the following New Jersey hospitals: JFK Medical Center in Edison; St. Peter’s Hospital in New Brunswick; Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth; Hackensack Medical Center in Hackensack; and South Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township.
They also clean and provide linens to a large number of New York City hospitals.
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If hospitals and nursing homes are unable to get clean linens, infection and disease could spread more quickly and could create a major health emergency endangering patients, staff, and visitors as New Jersey and New York grapple both with COVID-19 and flu season in the weeks ahead, according to Progressive Cities.
“These essential laundry workers in Perth Amboy have helped Unitex achieve extraordinary growth and success in recent years," said Alberto Arroyo, co-manager of the Laundry, Distribution, and Food Service Joint Board, Workers United/SEIU. "Our members have stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic and faced significant health risks to keep many hospitals and nursing homes safe. They have earned a fair new contract. Unitex should immediately give its Perth Amboy employees stronger health and safety protections against COVID-19, and continue paying into the pension fund for current and future employees."
Brigida Vidal, a Perth Amboy Unitex employee who lives in Perth Amboy and who has worked at the facility for five years, said that she is proud of the work she does to assist the healthcare industry, but said she deserves fair treatment.
“I have dedicated years of my life to this job. It’s very hard work cleaning and processing gowns, sheets, and other linens for hospitals and nursing homes in New Jersey and New York City," she said. "My co-workers and I have helped Unitex become a very wealthy and successful company, and we deserve to be treated fairly. We hope Unitex does not force us to strike and prevent hospitals from receiving the clean medical linens they need.”
Email: ngmuscavage@gannettnj.com
Nick Muscavage is a watchdog reporter for the Courier News, Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to his investigative work that has exposed wrongdoing and changed state law, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
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The Link LonkOctober 01, 2020 at 01:06AM
https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2020/09/30/laundry-workers-rally-perth-amboy-covid-19-protections/3586286001/
Laundry workers rally in Perth Amboy for COVID-19 protections - My Central Jersey
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