Denver Airport Window Washing Woes

Push is on not to wipe slate clean - Nine Denver council members want winning bidders for city pacts to keep the same staff: The Denver City Council may require winning bidders for city contracts to retain employees from the previous contract holder rather than starting fresh with their own workers. The ordinance, being pushed by council member Chris Nevitt (pictured), is the result of the possible dismissal of window-washers at Denver International Airport. The airport has put the window-washing contract out for bids. Nevitt in the past month asked airport officials to require any new contractor to continue employing the current 23 window-washers, many of whom have been washing airport windows in Denver for more than 10 years. DIA aviation manager Kim Day declined to do so, instead inserting less firm language in the request for bids: "Contractor agrees to use good faith effort to interview and employ staff with current or past DIA experience."
Now Nevitt is spearheading a push for an ordinance that would require all city and airport contractors to keep existing employees for a set period of time after a contract switches hands.
He argues that such a practice is similar to what other airports in the nation have on the books.
Eight other council members Monday joined him in sending a letter to Day and Mayor John Hickenlooper's chief of staff, Kelly Brough. In their letter, they expressed disappointment over the lack of job security for the city's contract workers. Those signing — Nevitt, along with Carol Boigon, Doug Linkhart, Rick Garcia, Paul Lopez, Peggy Lehmann, Marcia Johnson, Judy Montero and Michael Hancock — said they would bring forth an ordinance to establish a worker-retention policy. "Particularly in this difficult economy and amid rising unemployment, it is imperative that the city, as one of the metro region's largest employers, responsibly manage workforce transitions between service contractors to avoid imposing inadvertent cost- shifting to other public services," the letter states.

The issue could split the 13-member council along labor and business lines, similarly to how the council divided during a debate over an airport-parking contract last year. Nevitt has close ties with labor organizations and founded a labor-backed think tank. The 23 workers whose jobs are in jeopardy are represented by Service Employees International Union. Nevitt said the airport currently requires new contractors to keep existing employees, but only when those employees make less than $15 an hour. The window- washers make more than $19 an hour, Nevitt said.
Chuck Cannon, a DIA spokesperson, said the airport plans to close on the bids Friday. He said the contract is worth between $6 million and $8 million.
Local firm B-G Service Solution had the window-washing contract, which had a term of three years with the option for two one-year extensions. The firm subcontracted the work out to another local firm, Shawn's Sparkling Squeegee Service. At some point, ISS Facilities Service took over B-G Service, which held the contract even when the airport was at Stapleton. The issue spooks Perry Stone, who has washed airport windows since 1993 and has raised two children on his wages. "I've provided a pretty decent home and environment for them by working this job, and my co- workers would say the same," he said.