240 Janitors Fired after Imigration steps in

Minneapolis, MN - Federal immigration authorities investigated Harvard Maintenance who allegedly hired workers who did not have the proper documentation, according to Minnesota Public Radio.

As a result Harvard Maintenance will be dismissing 240 employees, that's more than half its Twin Cities workforce.

On another note, two years ago, more than 1,200 janitors at ABM lost their jobs after a similar immigration audit.

ABM signed a non-disclosure agreement with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but Department of Homeland Security documents obtained by MPR News show ABM was fined $108,000 — or about $85 for each janitor who was dismissed.

Employers caught with undocumented immigrants on the payroll can face civil fines and possible criminal charges.

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Suspected illegal immigrant hired as custodian at E.A. Cox Middle School, TN

COLUMBIA, TN — A woman who reportedly worked as a custodian at E.A. Cox Middle School is behind bars suspected of being in the country illegally, according to WTVF-TV.

Olga Bueno-Romero, 25, was arrested late last week by the U.S. Marshal's Office, immigration and customs enforcement officers, and investigators from the Maury County Sheriff's Department, the article stated.

"We believe, by the information that we have, that she'd been here quite a long time," said Lt. Mike Diaz, with the sheriff's department. "Possibly since last year, or maybe longer than that."

Romero is wanted, on a felony warrant for violation of probation, in the state of Texas, the article noted.

According to the article, the federal government can either opt for immediate deportation, or it can send her back to Texas to face those charges.

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Hampton Inn Hotel sued for race discrimination

INDIANAPOLIS — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said it is suing the owner of an Indianapolis hotel, charging that it treated black housekeepers unfairly, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal.

The EEOC's complaint against New Indianapolis Hotels Inc. is on behalf of a class of fired black housekeepers, as well as a class of black applicants who sought housekeeping jobs at the Hampton Inn hotel, the article noted.

The lawsuit alleges that the hotel denied employment to black housekeeping applicants, offered lower pay and hours to black housekeeping staff, terminated black housekeepers who complained of the less-favorable treatment and destroyed records since at least September 2, 2008, the article stated.

According to the article, the suit alleges that the general manager of the hotel advised her employees that she wanted to hire "Mexicans" who do a better job and complain less than her black housekeeping staff.

The agency is seeking damages and back pay, in addition to a permanent injunction to prevent New Indianapolis Hotels from engaging in race discrimination, the article added.

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Window washer alive after four-story plunge

NEW YORK — A worker from Domino Window Cleaning is in the hospital after falling four stories from a building and landing on his head while cleaning the windows, according to the Daily News.

Igor Vnuk, who fell around 3:45 p.m. Friday after losing his balance, was not wearing a safety harness, the story stated.

Co-workers rushed to Vnuk's aid before emergency workers arrived at the scene and transported the injured window washer to Bellevue Hospital, the story noted.

It is unclear whether or not Vnuk violated any work codes by failing to don a safety harness, but the New York City Department of Investigations said they were looking into the fall for more answers, the story added.

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Maintenance chief used school equipment for private business

MONROE, LA — Energy and Maintenance Manager Kirk Clark has been suspended for 10 days and ordered to repay the Monroe City Schools district $2,000 for allegedly using school equipment for his private janitorial business, according to the Associate Press.

According to the story, Clark used two buffers, a carpet cleaner and wet vacuum to perform services for area businesses through his company, Kz Clark Enterprises.

Clark has worked with the school district for 29 years and receives an annual salary of about $50,000, the story stated.

According to the story, the Monroe Federation of Teachers has complained that any other employee would have been fired for the same transgressions, and that they first asked the district to investigate Clark's actions over two years ago.

Clark will not receive pay during his 10-day suspension, the story added.

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School custodian uses taxpayer money for home repairs

QUEENS, NY — A 20-year veteran school custodian admitted to using taxpayer money to have custodians work on his home and purchase various supplies and charge them to the city, according to the Daily News.

Gerard O'Brien agreed to pay a $20,000 fine for the thousands of dollars worth of detergent, light bulbs, toilet paper and labor he charged to the New York City Department of Education (DOE), the story stated.

O'Brien said school custodial staff painted his house and installed shelves for him on DOE time; another custodian used a city-owned power washer to clean O'Brien's deck, also on Department of Education time, the story noted.

O'Brien billed the personal supplies he purchased to John Adams High School in Ozone Park, New York, with false invoices to cover his tracks, the story added.

O'Brien said: “I purchased items with DOE funds for my personal use, such as bug cleaner, weed killer and 60-watt bulbs, which items were not used at John Adams. From 2001 to the present, I submitted 10 to 15 false Best Paint invoices to the DOE.”

According to the story, O'Brien resigned in February when he faced "serious disciplinary charges" after the scope of his wrongdoings were realized.

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Proposal increases mandatory furlough days for Oregon state workers

SALEM, OR — In an effort to help Oregon cope with its deepening budget crisis, Governor Ted Kulongoski has proposed that state workers lose 24 days of pay over the next two years, according to The Oregonian.


Included in the unprecedented proposal are plans for workers to get a mixture of unpaid holidays and days off without pay and eliminating the salary increases that many state workers get annually, the story stated.


Both the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the two unions representing the majority of state workers, had expressed a willingness to accept eight furlough days, the number Governor Kulongoski proposed in December, the story noted.


The furloughs would save the state's general fund $105 million over the next two years while eliminating cost-of-living increases would save an additional $56 million, the story added.

E. coli outbreak hits day care center

LEMONT, IL — At least 21 children, 18 of whom are under the age of five, and one adult at KinderCare Learning Center have contracted E. coli, according to the Southtown Star.


KinderCare has increased its sanitization efforts, including enhanced cleaning of surfaces, bringing in additional staff to monitor hand washing and hiring a certified nurse, the story stated.


According to the story, the day care center has been allowed to remain open so the children have a place to go and so they do not carry the bacteria to other centers.


The Cook County Health Department has mandated all children and adults at the KinderCare Learning Center be tested for the bacteria that caused the outbreak thought to be linked to a lack of proper hand washing, the story noted.


Beth Daniels, a spokeswoman for the day care, said: "KinderCare working with parents to reimburse them for certain out-of-pocket medical expenses and lost wages due to staying home with their children. We've been doing everything possible to prevent the further spread of this."


Three children have been hospitalized, treated and released as a result of the outbreak, the story added.

$1.2 million in OSHA fines for chemical company

ST. LOUIS, MO — G.S. Robins & Co. has been cited by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for alleged willful, repeat and serious violations of federal workplace safety standards for numerous violations relating to the handling of hazardous chemicals, according to an article from the PRNewswire.


OSHA began the investigation after learning that eight employees had been admitted to several local hospitals after being contaminated with an unknown powder that turned out to be para-nitroaniline (PNA), a poison that causes methemoglobinemia, resulting in the reduction of the blood's ability to transport oxygen, the story stated.


Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Donald G. Shalhoub said: "There are means available to safely handle deadly chemicals such as this, and those means were ignored. Those who ignore safe practices and OSHA regulations are inviting tragedy into the lives of their employees and their families, and this cannot be tolerated."


As a result of its investigation, OSHA issued 21 willful citations relating to eight instances of failing to provide employees with the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) for transferring PNA; four instances of failing to provide training on the use of PPE and on working with hazardous chemicals; three instances of failing to provide PPE training and training on specific PNA-transfer procedures; and five instances of failing to fit-test employees using respirators, the story noted.


According to the story, OSHA also issued a repeat citation for failing to provide an eyewash/shower in corrosive chemicals areas, and an additional 16 serious citations for hazards associated with the transfer of PNA and other workplace practices.


G.S. Robins & Co. has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), the story added.

Custodian gets jail time for stealing credit cards

SHERWOOD, OR — A former contract custodian at Sherwood City Hall was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree burglary and identity theft, according to The Oregonian.


Christine Foos was charged for stealing and using credit cards belonging to Sherwood Planning Manager Julia Hajduk and Associate Planner Michelle Miller in October 2007, the story stated.


Foos, who used the cards to purchase a variety of items worth hundreds of dollars at area stores, was photographed by security cameras leaving City Hall after the cards were stolen, and again at a Safeway store in Portland where she tried to use the credit cards to buy gift cards, the story noted.


Foos fled to San Diego and was arrested by a fugitive task force on warrants alleging burglary and probation violations, the story added.


According to court records, Christine Foos was on probation for robbery at the time the infractions occurred.

Ex-Mt. Vernon school official gets prison term in bribe case

WHITE PLAINS, NY — The former head of purchasing for Mount Vernon City School District was sentenced to upwards of seven years in prison for bribing companies in exchange for district contracts, according to The Journal News.


Arthur Rose was convicted of accepting a $3,500 bribe in 2005 to set up a $1.1 million no-bid contract with Ricoh Americas Corp. for 73 digital copiers, products and services, and for taking a $10,000 bribe in 2006 from Tri-State Supply Co. after promising its owner he would provide him business with the district, the story stated.


According to prosecutors, the alleged bribes were considered "donations" to Rose's spiritual group, Upon This Rock Ministries, and Rose sent invoices to the companies for ministry-sponsored events that were never held, including a $1,000-a-plate "gala."


Not accepting the argument from Rose's attorney that he was tricked and manipulated by representatives of big businesses, a jury convicted Rose of two felony counts of third-degree bribe receiving, three misdemeanor counts of official misconduct and one misdemeanor count of receiving unlawful gratuities, the story noted.


District Attorney Janet DiFiore said: "While a state prison sentence should serve to hold Mr. Rose accountable for his direct actions, his contribution to the continuing erosion of the public's confidence in government, in addition to the actual monetary loss, will take far longer to reconcile."


Rose, who has a prior grand larceny conviction in Manhattan from 2004, is appealing the charges against him, the story added.

Costly meth lab cleanups on the rise

CHATTANOOGA, TN — The increase in the number of methamphetamine drug labs being discovered in hotels and motels is adding to the cleaning duties of housekeeping crews and remediators alike, according to an Associated Press story hosted by Google.com.


Hotels and motels are an attractive alternative for drug makers seeking to avoid a police raid on their own homes. However, the dangerous contaminants can lurk on countertops, carpets and bathtubs, and chemical odors that might provide a warning to the toxic conditions that exist can be effectively masked by tobacco smoke and other scents, the story stated.


Joe Mazzuca, operations manager at Meth Lab Cleanup Co., said: "I have tested pricey hotel rooms in Idaho and Utah and discovered contaminants where no one previously suspected a meth lab had been. Seventy percent of the work Meth Lab Cleanup Co. does are properties that were never busted."


Meth lab cleanups cost anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000, depending on how long the lab was in use, the story noted.


U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration records show that states reported finding evidence of drug-making in 1,789 motel and hotel rooms in the past five years, the story added.


According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, methamphetamine labs can be set up in less than four hours inside a hotel or motel room.

LEED-certified Border Patrol station

EL PASO, TX — The new station in Northeast El Paso is the first U.S. Border Patrol station to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, according to the El Paso Times.


About 80 percent of all construction materials are certified recyclable and the station will be 50 percent more energy efficient than a building using standard construction methods, the story stated.


Assistant Patrol Agent in Charge Salvador Zamora said: "This is not only a building, this is a second home for many of us; we are happy that we're getting a new home in a beautiful location."


Additional energy saving elements to the building are: Skylights in certain station areas and sensor lights in every room, solar panels to generate roughly 12 percent of yearly energy usage and materials purchased no farther than 300 miles from the construction site, the story noted.


The land was provided free of charge to the agency by the U.S. Department of Defense, and the $15.6 million construction contract for the 54,000 square-foot building was awarded to Banes General Contractors, the story added.


According to the story, the building, which will house 350 agents on 45 acres, is about two to three months away from completion.

Contagious skin infections scare district

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — Rochester Community Schools Officials are on the defensive after three high school students and one kindergartener were diagnosed last week with contagious skin infections, according to C & G News.


One student from Hamlin Elementary was diagnosed with a staph infection, while three wrestlers from Rochester High School were found to have impetigo, a contagious skin infection with blisters and oozing sores, the story stated.


Rochester High Principal Wendy Zdeb said: "Like most bacterial skin infections, impetigo can be spread through contact. The best precaution is to take measures that reduce the spread of bacteria, including good hand washing, not sharing personal items and keeping wounds covered."


Extensive cleaning was conducted throughout the school, including classrooms, the office clinic and other high-touch areas, as a precautionary measure, the story noted.


The wrestlers might have contracted the infection during a meet in Lake Orion. A meet scheduled for February 11 at Rochester High was canceled while equipment, wrestling mats and the locker room were thoroughly cleaned, the story added.

Manufacturers sued for ingredient disclosure

NEW YORK — Environmental and health activists announced plans for a lawsuit to make four major firms reveal the chemical ingredients of their cleaning products and their research on the products' effects, according to the Los Angeles Times.


The suit, to be filed today in New York by six state and national environmental and health groups, including the Sierra Club and American Lung Association, seeks to use a little-known 1976 New York law passed to combat phosphates in detergent, the story stated.


The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) said the following about the suit: "Activist groups are using an arcane New York state regulation as a way to disparage cleaning product formulators whose products are used safely and effectively by millions of people every day."


Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble; New York-based Colgate-Palmolive; Princeton, N.J.-based Church & Dwight Co.; and Britain-based Reckitt Benckiser Group are all mentioned in the lawsuit, the story noted.


In California, two laws were approved in 2008 that require the state to identify "chemicals of concern," to evaluate safer alternatives and to create a scientific clearinghouse for information on chemicals' effects, the story added.


According to the story, The Consumer Product Safety Commission is the federal agency charged with overseeing home cleaning products, but it doesn't require cleaning product manufacturers to provide comprehensive ingredient lists, so few companies do.

Overnight fire at Cintas facility

INDIANAPOLIS — Nobody was injured in a fire that started inside a Cintas facility around 3 o'clock this morning, according to WISH-TV.


The fire at the JanSan uniform and mat rental company is being blamed on faulty electrical equipment, the story stated.


No employees were in the building at the time of the blaze; no estimations of the extent of the damage have been made as of yet, the story noted.


The building's sprinkler system did its job in helping control the blaze until firefighters arrived and subdued the flames, the story added.

Apartment manager embezzles $500,000

WEST WHITELAND, PA — The former property manager of Hollow Run Apartments has been charged with stealing nearly $500,000 in more than 700 thefts she committed between 2001 and 2008, according to WFMZ-TV.


Tracey Totten-Davis is accused of manipulating the accounts of more than 700 tenants who lived in the complex and funneling $412,000 in rent and security deposits into her personal bank account, the story stated.


According to police, "The investigation was an arduous process of putting together the paper trail needed for prosecution."


Totten-Davis was fired for paying an excessive amount of money to Choice Cleaning L.L.C., a company she hired for cleaning services, the story noted.


Investigations uncovered the fact that Totten-Davis actually owned the cleaning company, and the $78,000 she billed for services over a two-year period was three times the amount paid to the previous cleaning company, the story added.


According to the story, Totten-Davis also charged home improvements worth $7,000 to the owner of the apartment complex, Fitzpatrick Fanning Corporation, making the total loss to Fitzpatrick Fanning more than $497,000.

Custodians with invalid Social Security numbers fired

MANSFIELD, TX — Forty of the 269 custodians in the Mansfield School District have been fired after an internal audit that began in August found that the Social Security numbers they gave the district were incorrect or invalid, according to the Star-Telegram.


One hundred twenty employees' numbers have been checked and verified so far; employees with invalid numbers were given 90 days to resolve the issue and many worked until the last day possible, the story stated.


Jeff Brogden, director of facilities and operations for the district, said: "The situation is heartbreaking. They’re like family."


According to the story, some of the employees involved had been with the district as long as 10 years.


The district is not required by law to verify Social Security numbers that it submits to the Internal Revenue Service, and has yet to contact law enforcement about the invalid numbers and presumed illegal status of the custodians, the story noted.


Each of the custodians had undergone criminal background checks based on fingerprints, but the checks did not reveal the invalid Social Security numbers, the story added.


According to the Pew Hispanic Center, at least 17 percent of all JanSan employees (an estimated 680,000 plus workers) are illegal immigrants.

Bacterial meningitis closes several rooms at UNCC

CHARLOTTE, NC — The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) has closed several rooms and facilities for cleaning after a student from the soccer team was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, according to the Charlotte Observer.


The Athletic Academic Center, the weight room and men's soccer locker room and shower area have all been temporarily closed so custodians can extensively clean and disinfect the areas, the story stated.


Officials claim there is no need to perform widespread testing of students as only those who had close contact with the student need to be tested and possibly treated, the story noted.


Bacterial meningitis is spread through exchange of respiratory and throat secretions, such as from coughing or kissing, and symptoms may include fever, headache, stiff neck, rash, nausea and sleepiness, the story added.

UNITE-HERE Local 2 calls for San Francisco hotel boycott

SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of members of the UNITE-HERE Local 2 are calling for a boycott of two San Francisco hotels: The HEI Le Meridien and the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf, according to the San Francisco Bay Area Independent.


Workers at these hotels are seeking more respect, better job security and better livelihoods for themselves and their families and want management to respect their choice whether or not to form a union through the majority sign-up process, the story stated.


Peter Ho, a lobby porter who has worked at HEI’s Le Meridien for 19 years, said: "We want the same opportunities as other hotel workers in San Francisco. If it’s good enough for workers at other hotels, why not for us? We’ve given years of service to these hotels. We just want respect."


Despite repeated efforts by workers to adopt the majority sign-up process, HEI and Hyatt have both refused; similar efforts are under way at other hotels, including the HEI Hilton in Long Beach, the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara, and the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis, the story noted.


Over 340 hospitality workers and their families at these two San Francisco hotels face unfair layoffs, unaffordable health care and a lack of respect on the job, the story added.