Janitors/Window Cleaners Protest Brings Minneapolis To A Halt

Protesters supporting janitors, 2,000 security officers & window cleaners seeking higher pay and more sick time took to the streets, blocking downtown streets and causing massive traffic jams, Thursday, February 18, 2016 in Minneapolis, MN. 

Morning rush hour snarled as protesters block downtown Minneapolis streets - The protesters are from a group supporting janitors engaged in a one-day strike during contract talks. 

Protesters supporting janitors seeking higher pay and more sick time took to the streets Thursday morning, blocking downtown streets at the peak of the morning rush hour, which caused massive traffic jams on I-94 and I-35W in Minneapolis. Marchers, carrying banners to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, took over 12th and 11th Streets and the area of 3rd Avenue to 5th Avenue S., Minneapolis Police spokesman John Elder confirmed. At the 5th Avenue exit off I-35W, some protesters played music as they choked off all cars from entering downtown.

Traffic heading into downtown was at a standstill for nearly an hour, and the State Patrol shut down major entry points. Exits from northbound I-35W to 5th Avenue and westbound 94 to 5th Avenue were closed around 8:15 a.m. They reopened 30 minutes later as marchers made their way along city streets to the area of 8th Street and Nicollet Mall, according to scanner reports.

Major backups as long as 3 miles were reported on northbound I-35W, Minnesota Department of Transportation cameras showed. Highway traffic returned to normal around 9 a.m. and downtown traffic soon after that. Still, the protests angered some commuters. “Making me late for work isn’t going to make me feel sympathetic to your cause,” a disgruntled commuter tweeted. Some Metro Transit buses were being diverted, too.

Twin Cities janitors staged a one-day strike Wednesday in an effort to improve working conditions, including higher wages and more paid sick days. Protesters supporting a $15 minimum wage blocked I-35 traffic from entering downtown Thursday morning.

Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (or The Center of Workers United in Struggle) said non-unionized workers for Capital Building Services Group and three other cleaning companies joined the strike of unionized janitors led by the Service Employees International Union Wednesday night. The CTUL organized a 6 a.m. rally of nonunion workers near the downtown Macy’s before moving to the freeway ramp with the other groups around 7 a.m. CTUL said it was trying to call attention to pay and wage theft issues faced by nonunion janitors. “We are here to disrupt business as usual” said Stephanie Gasca, an organizer for CTUL. She said stopping traffic and hitting the streets was the best way to get their message heard.

Hilario De Leon Perez, a cleaning worker in Minneapolis, said he is here to support a minimum-wage increase to $15 dollars an hour, as well as paid sick leave, vacation days and holidays. “Me and the other workers want the rich and powerful to hear us because we want this change and need this change,” he said. CTUL on Tuesday publicized a $425,000 settlement that it reached with Capital Building Services Group, an Illinois-based cleaning service, for back wages to workers at Macy’s and Herberger’s stores in the Twin Cities.

Twin Cities union janitors set to strike Wednesday - A Twin Cities union representing 4,000 janitors is preparing to go on strike Wednesday. A Sunday deadline for a new contract passed, prompting the Service Employees International Union Local 26 to announce members will walk off the job on Wednesday. A rally is being planned at 7:30 that evening at U.S. Bank Plaza in Minneapolis.

The workers are asking for a minimum wage of $15 an hour. They are also seeking a limit on the amount of work they must complete during a normal shift, which they have described as the equivalent of cleaning 20 houses. In addition to the janitors, 2,000 security officers, window cleaners and other workers are represented by the union. The security officers reached a separate contract settlement Thursday. A vote to ratify that agreement is set for Saturday.

Negotiations for the janitors’ contract began in October, to replace a three-year contract that expired Dec. 31. Union members voted in January to authorize a strike, with a deadline of Sunday. A strike would be the first in decades by sub-contracted union janitors in the Twin Cities.

Bird Strikes Reduced By Doing One Small Thing

All the lights in the building are turned off every night during migration months.

Eagle Center found window-strike solution: You are looking (photo above) at a wall of glass, the entire south side of the National Eagle Center building in Wabasha, Minnesota. Lots of reflections in what is plain old window glass. The building is 100 feet from the Mississippi River, and faces due south, into the teeth of spring migration.

And how many birds die here each spring season? It used to be about 100, the small warning decals here and there on the glass (look closely) making little difference. That number has been reduced by 80 percent in recent years by one simple change: All the lights in the building are turned off every night during migration months. Even security lights go dark. (A close look also will reveal the interior lights on the high ceiling.)

Eagle Center staff discovered that the birds — mostly night migrants, as is the usual case — were attracted to lights. Whatever was applied to the glass made little or no difference in the dark because the birds could see neither glass nor warnings. The birds flew to the light, even the smallest glimmer.

Putting the building into dark mode made a big difference.

Fury As Autistic Child Is Made To Wash Windows

“He had no awareness. He was not washing windows whatsoever,” his mother said.

Rochester Mom Fights To Have Abusive School Employee Fired: A Minnesota mother says a school aid went too far with her son, and she says there’s video to prove it. For 15 years, Jade Werth has been the voice for her son Austin, who was born with a rare form of autism and can’t speak. Austin has had more challenges than most, but has never been one to act up. “He’s just an all-around sweet, loving child,” Werth said. Even as his advocate, nothing could have prepared her for the call that came two months ago. “Absolutely, literally sick. Sick,” she said. The Department of Education was investigating after some students at Rochester’s Century High reported that Austin’s paraprofessional was being too rough with him.

The two were washing windows, something his mom had no idea he did at school. “He had no awareness. He was not washing windows whatsoever,” she said. For weeks, Jade was left to wonder what exactly happened until she saw the security video for herself. “Watching them is terrifying as a parent,” said Werth.

In the video, Austin’s para pushes him toward the window several times. And when Austin starts to struggle to stand, the para appears to push him even more. Jade wasn’t told about the incident for nearly a week, and still has a hard time talking about what her son must have been feeling. “Being afraid. Being afraid to be in school, that’s not right. That’s not ok,” she said.

The school district suspended Raymond Paske for five days. He’s no longer a paraprofessional and has been moved to a maintenance position. In a statement, the district’s attorney said the case is considered closed, and that “Rochester schools provide a world-class education and even the best districts have personnel issues.” It’s not good enough for Jade, who wants Paske out of schools altogether. She’s exploring what legal options she has, and says she’ll continue to speak up for her son. “There has to be a change. There has to be,” she said.

Police also investigated Paske for the incidents. They turned over their findings to the county attorney who will decide if any criminal charges should be filed. Paske did not return WCCO’s phone calls.

New Minnesota OSHA Standard For Window Washers

New Minnesota OSHA Standard for Window Washers: The state of Minnesota is handing down new standards to help make the job of window washing safer. In November, the FOX 9 Investigators exposed frequent safety shortcuts by crews working in the metro. Three men washing windows have died in the past three years. OSHA reports say their deaths could have been prevented with more training and proper use of safety equipment and procedures.

The new Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MNOSHA) standard is designed to increase worker protection and provide clarity for contractors that perform interior or exterior window-washing or building-maintenance operations. It applies to workers that are suspended more than 14 feet above grade.

The standard requires employers to have a comprehensive written safety plan and provide employee training for window-washing and building-maintenance activities. It also addresses and outlines worker safety requirements in the areas of:

• Anchors and anchor points;
• Appropriate recordkeeping regarding employee training and retraining;
• Fall protection;
• Proper care, use and inspection of equipment;
• Rope descent systems; and
• Visual inspections of building exteriors before work begins.

"This new standard ensures a plan is in place to reduce risks to workers and that systems are in place to identify and control workplace hazards," said Commissioner Ken Peterson, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). "The goal is to prevent accidents." MNOSHA began a local emphasis inspection program for the window-washing and building-maintenance industry in October 2010. Since then, MNOSHA has conducted 34 window-washing inspections: one was a complaint, one was a fatality and 32 were part of the emphasis program, where investigators may stop and conduct an inspection when they observe window-washing activity.

During these inspections, MNOSHA investigators found some worksites lacked proper safety equipment for employees cleaning windows. Also, not all employers were complying with existing MNOSHA safety standards or following the manufacturer's guidelines about how to safely use suspension scaffolds and lifelines. Employers can get information about the new standard via the DLI website (click on the "Standards" tab) or by calling MNOSHA Compliance at (651) 284-5050. The new safety standard for window-washers takes effect March 1, 2012. Click here for pdf file download.

Minnesota tightens rules to reduce risks for window washers: State safety officials are acting to make it safer for window washers to do their jobs. It's a profession that has suffered three on-the-job deaths in Minnesota since 2009.

Tony DeMaio, Matt Carlson and Jose Munoz of Columbia Building Services washed windows at the Thrivent Financial Building in June.

Minnesota tightens rules to reduce risks for window washers: The Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MnOSHA) said Monday that it is tightening requirements for employers in the areas of equipment inspections and training for window washers who work 14 feet or higher above ground but not on a ladder.

The new standards take effect March 1 and are designed to "reduce risks to workers and [ensure] that systems are in place to identify and control workplace hazards," said Ken Peterson, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. MnOSHA has intensified window-washing worksite inspections since October 2010. In the 34 inspections since then, the agency found a lack of proper safety equipment and improper use of suspension scaffolds and lifelines at some sites.

The most recent death occurred in June, when window washer Ryan J. Shannon, 25, of Roseville, fell from the roof of an eight-story St. Louis Park apartment building, where he was working with a crew. In September 2009, Bryan Prairie, of Plymouth, fell to his death at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. Six months earlier, Jacob Jennings, 20, of Coon Rapids, fell and died washing windows in Bloomington.

Ryan Wagner, operations manager for StarBrite Cleaning Services in St. Louis Park, defended his industry as "very safe ... if you do everything right. You can train for as long as you want, but it still comes down to that person. ... They have a checklist they have to go through." Wagner said he suspects that OSHA is "feeling pressure to do something" because of the recent deaths.

"From a company point of view, let alone personal, ... you don't want to lose somebody," said Wagner, who added that his company hasn't had an accident in its 27 years of existence. "I've been doing this for nine years, and I've never felt unsafe." Minnesota Labor and Industry spokesman James Honerman said that Minnesota's new regulation came as a result of the three window washer deaths and a maintenance worker who fell and died in 2007 while clearing snow from the IDS building.

The new rules should help prevent further falls. "Things we found during the initial inspections is that not all employees were being afforded the right to work safely," Honerman said. "This new standard requires comprehensive written safety plans and the need to provide workers training for window washing and safety. It talks specifically about the equipment they use and how to properly use that equipment and inspect that equipment."

Honerman added that window washers are not certified or licensed in the state of Minnesota. Some labor unions and advocacy groups have pushed for a national certified training program. For now, under the new MnOSHA standards, it's the individual building owner and window cleaning contractors who must provide a written safety plan and offer window washers training. Licensing requirements for workers do not fall under OSHA's jurisdictions, Honerman said.

Woman Fired For Complaining About Window Cleaners

U.S. Bank temp says Occupy post got her fired: Kim Wangnoo said she figured her Facebook post was harmless. From home, the U.S. Bank temp jumped into a discussion on Occupy Minnesota's page about the power-washing of the bank's windows across the street from where the protesters are camped out. She called the window cleaning a waste of time and money. Then she lost her job.

Wangnoo, a 46-year-old mother of four in Brooklyn Center, insists the bank canned her over what she described as a few mild Facebook comments. She called it "creepy." The Minneapolis-based bank, which has been a frequent target of Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, confirmed that Wangnoo no longer works there. It declined to discuss the terms of her departure. But spokesman Tom Joyce confirmed the company sent memos cautioning employees not to engage protesters. "There have been e-mails sent out from our corporate security team ensuring the safety of our employees," Joyce said. "It was really more of a safety issue."

As Wangnoo tells it, she had worked at U.S. Bank through Kelly Services for about four months in a group called Corporate Payment Systems doing new accounts for credit cards for trucking companies. She was alert to the protest camp in the Hennepin County Government Center plaza across the street, she said, not only because it was so close, but because her stepson, a college student, was part of it. She supports the movement, she said, "but from a distance." And she was annoyed at the window-cleaning. The metal barricades around the building were inconvenient, and water sometimes sprayed on her as she went in and out.

So, she said, she vented on the Occupy Minnesota Facebook page -- one of a handful of comments she said she made. Then, late last week, her supervisor at U.S. Bank called her into her office. There, a copy of Wangnoo's comments was displayed, as well as an e-mail the company had sent to employees asking them not to talk to protesters. Wangnoo said the supervisor told her she'd violated the bank's policy. A day or so later, Kelly Services told her she'd been fired.

Christmas Lights - Is It Time For A Window Cleaning Add-On?

Click this picture to take you to a stunning website.

Helping with holiday light displays a growing trend for area companies: (Jenison) - A growing number of residents are foregoing the ritual of stringing holiday lights on their homes — instead letting someone else handle the sometimes frustrating and dangerous work. DeVries Landscape Management started decorating homes in 1996 as a way of extending its season and keeping employees busy.

Today, the Jenison-based company has more than 200 customers for holiday decorating, said manager Bill Pringle. And 30 workers, some of whom would be laid off, stay employed for most of the year, thanks to the addition. “It’s a nice add-on to our business,” Pringle said. “And it’s something our customers value and appreciate.”

Shine Window Care found that customers of its window-cleaning service were often asking for “odds and ends” because workers had ladders, said manager Aaron Haarsma. So about six years ago, the business in Grandville and Holland decided to put those ladders to further use and decorate homes. It went from 20 customers for the service in the first year to 150 now.

“We did research and found a sizeable industry,” Haarsma said. “It’s taking off really well. Every year we gain new clients.” The accounts are big, too. Shine’s projects start at $750. It has residential projects worth $10,000, Haarsma said. Pringle said DeVries’ Christmas Décor division projects start at $250, but most cost more. This year, he expects a $50,000 account for a commercial customer with multiple locations.

Chips Groundcover, in Holland, decorates more modest homes than the other companies, which mostly serve high-end homes and businesses. Still, accounts generally start at $300. And six employees who would otherwise be laid off or have their hours greatly reduced keep busy into January, said owner Nick Weaver.

All three companies come up with a design with a customer, purchase the decorations and commercial-grade lighting, install and maintain them throughout the season, and then take them down and store them.  While the businesses provide the service as a season-extender, customers use it for the convenience and the safety factor.

Shine Window Care has harnesses, mechanical lifts and ladders with self-leveling feet and gripers. “Our guys do this every day, and they’re used to it,” Haarsma said. Pringle said teams of workers who can do roof work with special equipment place the lights. The finished look is much more professional because of special clips used for holding lights and the techniques the company has learned, Weaver said. But he emphasized the safety aspect of the service above all else. “We take the risk out of putting lights up,” he said.

Hanging Christmas lights; sign of economic recovery? (Nov 15, 2010) - WAYZATA, Minn. -- A blast of winter weather is all many folks need to turn on that holiday spirit and the holiday lights. "We really try to get them up as soon as we can so they can flip the switch the day after Thanksgiving," says David Felt, owner of Russel Williams. For David Felt, Christmas-time is business-time. The business grad from Bethel University started his own home service company in 2006. Russell Williams does window cleaning in the summer and lights in the winter.

And at a time when many businesses are still struggling, his company is growing, starting with three employees four years ago. "Since then we've added crews every year and now we're up to 10 full time employees," say David. David has noticed people spending their money differently, and while he knows many of his customers do have a bit extra to spend, they've been selective. "They wanted to make sure that they were going to get the most value for their dollar," says David.

Russell Williams has weathered the economic storm and come out glowing. Last year, business was up nearly 50 percent. It is one success story and perhaps one sign the economy is turning and an indication more people might be willing to take a business chance. Last year in Minnesota, more than 60,000 new business entities registered with the Secretary of State. And Forbes Magazine recently listed the twin cities as a region that's recovering faster than most.

Light by light, David Felt's company is enjoying the recovery and looking forward to even more profitable, brighter days ahead. "You just have to hire the right people and you have to make sure as you grow your business that everyone is going to do the same quality of work as if you were there yourself," says David. David says every season his company installs about two million lights on homes across the metro. They do maintenance during the winter and take it all down in the spring. Go to the Department of Employment and Economic Development for more information on how to start a small business.

Christmas Lights - Window Cleaning Add-On

Hanging Christmas lights; sign of economic recovery? WAYZATA, Minnesota. - A blast of winter weather is all many folks need to turn on that holiday spirit and the holiday lights. "We really try to get them up as soon as we can so they can flip the switch the day after Thanksgiving," says David Felt, owner of Russel Williams. For David Felt, Christmas-time is business-time. The business grad from Bethel University started his own home service company in 2006. Russell Williams does window cleaning in the summer and lights in the winter.

And at a time when many businesses are still struggling, his company is growing, starting with three employees four years ago. "Since then we've added crews every year and now we're up to 10 full time employees," say David. David has noticed people spending their money differently, and while he knows many of his customers do have a bit extra to spend, they've been selective. "They wanted to make sure that they were going to get the most value for their dollar," says David.

Russell Williams has weathered the economic storm and come out glowing. Last year, business was up nearly 50 percent. It is one success story and perhaps one sign the economy is turning and an indication more people might be willing to take a business chance. Last year in Minnesota, more than 60,000 new business entities registered with the Secretary of State. And Forbes Magazine recently listed the twin cities as a region that's recovering faster than most. Light by light, David Felt's company is enjoying the recovery and looking forward to even more profitable, brighter days ahead.

"You just have to hire the right people and you have to make sure as you grow your business that everyone is going to do the same quality of work as if you were there yourself," says David. David says every season his company installs about two million lights on homes across the metro. They do maintenance during the winter and take it all down in the spring.

Felt majored in marketing and minored in management and entrepreneurship. He started Russell Williams, a business that cleans windows in the summer and hangs lights in the winter, the same season he graduated from Bethel. "The risk and reward at that point was well worth it, and it really happened to work out," says Felt. Felt currently employs 10 people, several of which are Bethel alumni. "I'm trying to find people who have high integrity and high values, and Bethel has a lot of those people," says Felt.

Window Cleaning Deaths in the Twin Cities

High-rise fatalities prompt stricter safety standards: Travis Schneider stood on a window-cleaning platform along the Target Plaza North high rise in downtown Minneapolis. Working 14 stories up, Schneider used a rope-and-pulley system to lower himself down to the next set of windows. When the platform got stuck on the system's sliding tracks, Schneider used his body weight to force it along, trusting the platform's railing to hold his weight as he pushed.The railing snapped. Schneider fell from the deck, dropping four feet before his safety harness caught him. As Schneider dangled off the platform, his shaken co-worker helped pull his 250-pound body back to safety. Schneider wasn't injured in the tumble.

Schneider's experience isn't uncommon for the workers who clean the tallest buildings in the Twin Cities. The window cleaners say they are often forced to risk their lives with outdated ropes and unsafe anchor points. Complaining about working conditions is a sure way to get sent home without pay, they say. The safety concerns became a focal point in the union negotiations this month for a new contract for 60 employees at two of the top companies in town. SEIU Local 26 employees at Marsden Final Touch and Columbia Building Services had been without a new contract since February 1 and were locked out of their jobs for eight days after raising safety concerns with their managers. They say it's a matter of life and death: In the past two and a half years, three local window cleaners have fallen to their deaths.

Derek Eggert has been a window cleaner for 16 years, most recently for Columbia. When he asked his managers for information on the age of their ropes, he says they told him he was being ridiculous. The companies are required to replace ropes three years after they were manufactured, but Eggert says he has had to use ropes past their expiration date. "I have two little girls, and I want to be able to tell them in the morning that I am going to be home at the end of the day," he says. "I want to have that extra safety and assurance that I know I am not lying to them. I don't want to be the next one to go." Eggert points to the death of Columbia employee Fidel Danilo Sanchez-Flores in 2007. He was clearing snow from the IDS Tower's Crystal Court when he fell four stories and broke through the building's glass roof. OSHA fined Columbia $25,750 for violations connected to that accident, but the company settled for $15,000. "It was devastating," Eggert says. "We are a close-knit group and saw him as a father figure."



The two companies said they didn't want to negotiate contracts through the media, but released a joint statement regarding the safety questions: "Our companies have an excellent safety record. We have always taken safety issues seriously, and, of course, comply with all state and federal OSHA regulations. Only last Thursday—one month into bargaining—did the union raise any concerns about employee safety." Unions often focus on one major issue, such as safety, to bring attention to their fight against the companies, says Barb Kucera, of the University of Minnesota's Labor Education Service. But that doesn't mean the safety concerns are simply a bargaining tactic. "Sometimes these things build up over time and it takes a contract negotiation to bring those issues forward," Kucera says. "The bargaining table is best way to solve problems with the employer."

The Twin Cities have been struck disproportionately by window-washing accidents. Nationally, there are only three to four window-cleaning deaths a year in a field that employs up to 8,000 people. So three deaths in two and a half years locally may be cause for concern, says Stefan Bright, International Window Cleaning Association safety director. "When the economy goes south, employers look to cut costs, and this is an industry that shouldn't, because safety will be compromised somewhere." The union's persistence paid off. On April 8, the companies and union members agreed on a new five-year contract that increases safety standards above OSHA requirements.

But non-union window washers won't get the same safety benefits just yet. Greg Nammacher, SEIU Local 26 representative, says the employees are helping Rep. Jim Davnie, DFL -Minneapolis, craft a bill that would extend stricter safety standards to all window washers.
"These are some real significant steps forward, but union companies can't change the industry," he says. "The end of the lock-out has underscored the importance of focusing on state legislation to protect all industry employees."

Glenn Roehsner says he faces unsafe working conditions every day but feels pressured to get the job done or leave the work site. It took the contract negotiation to give him the strength to speak up. "We pressure ourselves to work in these conditions, but it's just become too unsafe," he says. "This job doesn't have to be dangerous."

Marchers Remember Fallen Window Cleaners

MINNEAPOLIS - With flowers and prayers, window cleaners and supporters remembered a co-worker and father who died doing his job in downtown Minneapolis. Member of Service Employees International Union Local 26 held a memorial march Friday to commemorate the life of Fidel Sanchez-Flores, killed when he fell while working at the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis in 2007. He was one of three window cleaners to die on the job in the past three years. The march occurred as some 60 window cleaners remain locked out of their jobs by cleaning companies in the Twin Cities. Local 26, which is in contract talks with the contractors, said the workers were locked out because they have been raising safety concerns.

The marchers stopped in front of two buildings they said are very dangerous to clean – the Oracle building at 9th St. and 2nd Ave., and the U.S. Bancorp building on Nicollet Mall. The workers said many buildings fail to have adequate places for workers to tie on safety equipment.
After a moment of silence in front of the IDS, Vielka Sanchez – Fidel Sanchez-Flores’ daughter – told marchers that their cause is just. “Where my dad’s at right now – he’s so thankful you guys are doing this,” she said. “He’s 100 percent behind you.” Window cleaners carried purple and yellow flowers that they laid in front of a large portrait of Sanchez-Flores. Rain began to fall as some wiped away tears. James Miller, a window cleaner for 12 years, said he and his co-workers want to prevent further injuries and deaths on the job. While their union supports them in their effort to make their work safer, window cleaners without representation have no such support, he said. Many get hired and start cleaning high-rise buildings without any training, Miller said. Not enough laws are in place to protect these workers, he said. “You have to have a license to cut hair, but not to hang off a building,” Miller noted.

Three window cleaners arrested as protest highlights safety concerns: As an employer lockout of window cleaners entered a second week, three of the locked-out workers risked arrest Monday in a protest to call attention to safety concerns. Shrill whistles disturbed lunchtime in the food court at Gavidae Common in downtown Minneapolis as members and supporters of Service Employees International Union Local 26 took dramatic action to highlight the window cleaners’ calls for improved workplace safety. The group of about 25 people blew whistles and chanted, “How many deaths does it take for window cleaners to be safe?” They unfurled two banners, one reading “window cleaner safety now” and the other memorializing Fidel Sanchez-Flores, a window cleaner who fell to his death two years ago.

Three window cleaners put on their work harnesses and sat down in an act of civil disobedience to risk arrest. The group’s chanting and whistles continued for several minutes while Dino Crandall, Travis Schneider, and James Miller waited for security guards and police to take action. Crandall and Miller are window cleaners working for Building Maintenance / Final Touch while Schneider is a window cleaner who works for Columbia. Marsden and Columbia locked out workers March 29 after workers raised safety concerns during contract negotiations. “It’s a dangerous job,” Crandall said in an interview last week. “When we finally asked for the inspection reports, they said ‘go home if you don’t want to work.’” “All right gentlemen, it’s over,” a security guard told Crandall, Schneider, and Miller as Minneapolis police moved to arrest the three and handcuff them. Outside, about 25 supporters chanted as Crandall, Schneider and Miller were put inside a paddy wagon.

Glenn Roehsner, Minneapolis, who has worked 14 years as a window cleaner for Marsden Building Maintenance / Final Touch, addressed the media gathered at the site: “We’ve had three people die in the past two years… We are being stressed to work unsafe.” Roehsner said Marsden and Columbia locked out workers when the workers raised safety concerns and that the companies have not agreed to further negotiations. As the paddy wagon drove away, the crowd chanted: “What to we want? Safety! When do we want it? Now!” One of the locked-out window cleaners participating in the event said he felt good about the day’s action. Sidronio Montoya, Minneapolis, who has worked for Marsden for about three years, said: “We want to work. We want to be safe.”

Supporters cheered the three window cleaners for taking a stand as they are led from the building to a police wagon. Also see here & here.

More News On Window Cleaners Lock-Out

Window cleaners: Just one slip away from tragedy - While demonstrating in downtown Minneapolis this week, Dino Crandall and his fellow window cleaners filled some of the time by viewing video of window washing accidents on their cellphones. It may seem a macabre pastime, but Crandall said the videos have come in handy when talking to curious passersby who approach with questions. “They know how dangerous it [window cleaning] is, but they don’t realize what the safety issues are,” he said.

Crandall (pictured right), with 19 years’ experience as a window cleaner, is among about 50 members of Service Employees International Union Local 26 who have been locked out by employers since Monday night. The workers say the lockout was sparked by their requests for greater safety on the job. Marsden Building Maintenance/Final Touch and Columbia Building Services are in negotiations with Local 26 over a new contract. The cleaners had been working without a contract for one month. Employers plan to continue the lockout will until a new contract is signed, the union said.



In the past three years, three window cleaners have been killed on the job in the Twin Cities -- one in downtown Minneapolis, one in Bloomington and one in St. Louis Park. Fidel Sanchez-Flores plunged to his death while clearing ice and snow from the Plexiglas roof of the IDS Center’s Crystal Court in 2007. At a news conference Thursday outside the IDS, his widow and daughter (pictured above) said no family should have to go through what they’ve experienced. “You don’t know what it’s like to have someone leave for work in the morning and not come home,” said his widow, Vielka Molinar-Sanchez. “My father will never see his grandchildren grow up,” said his daughter, also named Vielka.

Suspended hundreds of feet in the air, window cleaners depend on safe equipment and proper installation to stay alive. But in recent years, that safety has come into question, said Derek Eggert (pictured left), another veteran cleaner. Problems range from support devices that are rusty and cracked to ropes that are worn beyond the legal limit. Many buildings – especially newer ones that are sheathed in glass – don’t have proper places to tie on equipment and workers must use whatever is available, even if it means tying off to stairwells or roof hatches, Eggert said. When they took their concerns to management, they were stonewalled, Eggert, Crandall and other cleaners said.

Despite the clear hazards involved in window cleaning, statistics on injuries and fatalities are difficult to come by. OSHA keeps statistics on falls, but it is included with data from the construction industry. SEIU staff said they have been unable to find specific figures on injury and death rates in the industry, but based on the number of accidents documented in the media, they believe the work has become more hazardous in recent years. “Over the past years, the Twin Cities window cleaning industry, we believe, has gotten increasingly dangerous,” said Greg Nammacher, secretary-treasurer of Local 26. “There is more and more pressure to cut corners.”
This record prompted state Rep. Jim Davnie, DFL-Minneapolis, to announce at Thursday’s news conference that he will introduce legislation to improve safety in the industry. “To have three window cleaners die in the last three years in Minneapolis alone is really a call for us to step up and take action,” Davnie said. The window cleaning industry has proposed voluntary national standards for equipment, installation and work practices that should be made mandatory to improve safety for workers and the public, Davnie said. His proposed legislation will “put the window washing industry’s own standards for safety into Minnesota law,” he said.

Memorial march to remember fallen window cleaner -MINNEAPOLIS - Members of Service Employees International Union Local 26 will lead a memorial march Friday to remember Fidel Sanchez-Flores, a window cleaner who died on the job. The march will run from 11 a.m. to noon in downtown Minneapolis, starting at the Oracle Building, 900 2nd Ave. S. Marchers hope the action will dramatize the safety concerns of window cleaners who currently are locked out as employers and the union attempt to bargain a new contract. The cleaners say employers have ignored their concerns about safety. Sanchez-Flores, 52, was killed on Dec. 5, 2007, when he plunged through the Plexiglas roof of the IDS Tower’s Crystal Court and fell three stories. He had been clearing ice and snow from the roof.
More here & here.

Company & Hospital Fined For Window Washer Death

Company, Hospital Fined For Window Washer Death: A window washing company and Park Nicollet have both been fined in connection with the death of a window washer who died after a three-story fall outside Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park last September. Bryan Prairie, 24, of Plymouth died after the fall on Sept. 2, 2009. Prairie and another co-worker were working near the entrance to the emergency room when they fell. Both Consider It Done Services and Park Nicollet were fined by Minnesota OSHA. Consider It Done was fined $28,750 and Park Nicollet was fined $7,000. Both parties have contested the citation and both cases are open. The next step is Minnesota OSHA will have an informal conference with both parties in hopes of trying to settle the case.

Chris Bemis, owner of CID Services, LLC, the company that was cleaning the windows at the hospital issued the following statement from the company after the incident:
"The young man who passed came to our company this year as a friend of many of the guys on our team. He was working with us while he looked for a job as a nurse. We were afforded a great opportunity to have him be a part of our little family, and we are heartbroken that he is gone. He has a wife and a young son, and our deepest sympathies are with his family now and in the future.
My business partner and friend is lying in a hospital bed, being treated for his injuries. He has always maintained a wonderful sense of kindness and love to all those who have had the opportunity to cross his path, especially his friends. And the young man who has passed was his friend. We know that even during his own recovery, our partner is grieving this tragic loss.
I would finally like to personally thank the staff at Park Nicollet for the part they played In bringing so much compassion and understanding to such a dark day in the lives of so many. It was a touching display of humanity that will stay with us forever. I am particularly grateful for the genuine caring they have shown for the families of those impacted by these tragic events. It is a credit to them as a group and as individuals."

Bryan Prairie (pictured) took the window-washing job to support his family, his father said. The window washer who fell three stories to his death at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park had taken the job this summer while looking for work as a nurse, his father said Friday. Bryan Prairie, 24, of Plymouth, was dead by the time rescue personnel arrived after he and a co-worker fell from scaffolding along the 40-foot-tall building about 3 p.m. Thursday. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office has not released the man's name, but Bill Prairie confirmed Friday that the dead man was his son.
Prairie was working for Consider It Done Cleaning to support his wife and 5-month-old son, his father said. The young man, who graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., had just passed his nursing boards in July after earning degrees in biology and nursing. The other man who fell was alert and talking soon after the accident, and was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

The Laughing Winter Window Cleaner & the Swindon Swindler

Motorists suffer as big freeze continues – but window cleaner's laughing: Emergency services across the region had a busy day. Staffordshire Police received a high number of calls from stranded motorists. Officers are now urging drivers to avoid side roads and country lanes where possible. The bad weather has brought good news for some. Window cleaner Dean Taberner is in great demand with his innovative system that stops water from freezing and allows him to reach high windows even when it is too icy for ladders. Dean, aged 30, from Blurton, said: "The water is de-ionised and chemicals added to it in a tank in the back of the van. We then pump it through a telescopic pole with a brush on the end." See how he did it here.

A Minnesota mid-winter dream: The January thaw began this past weekend as temperatures slowly inched their way up past zero into the single digits and hit 31 on Wednesday. The National Weather Service predicts that temperatures will be in the mid-30s by this weekend, with mostly sunny skies but also with a slight chance of rain and snow in the early part of next week. The thaw is predicted to continue into next week, possibly hitting 34 degrees next Wednesday. Downtown Austin window washers Dustin Gwin and Kris Jorgenson of Endres Window Cleaning worked on the front windows of Steve's Pizza. One block south, Art Polzin chipped ice off the Main Street sidewalk outside Piggy Blues Bar-B-Que. "It helps a lot," said Matt Endres, owner of the window cleaning service, about the warmer weather.

Victims conned by window cleaner: A Councillor and elderly Swindon residents were just some of the victims falling foul of a rogue window cleaner who could now face a lengthy prison sentence. David Green, of no fixed abode, admitted fraud by taking money for window cleaning jobs and not fulfilling his duties on four Swindon properties between November 2008 and March 2009. The 43-year-old has also pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud, three burglaries and one count of theft in Somerset and Bristol. In total 11 charges have been admitted by Green out of 271 offences that will be taken into consideration by Bristol Crown Court. One of Green’s victims was Abbey Meads councillor Justin Tomlinson, the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for North Swindon at the next election. “I’m delighted this man is facing the punishment he deserves,” said Mr Tomlinson, who was targeted by Green in February last year. “Myself and the Swindon Advertiser have highlighted this menace and helped police discover additional evidence to make sure this didn’t happen again.”
Mr Tomlinson added Green used to clean his windows lawfully a number of years ago in West Swindon. Green then came round again offering him window cleaning and cleaning or fixing gutters. The guttering job was finished and £99 changed hands, but the windows weren’t cleaned, claimed Mr Tomlinson. Reputable Liden window cleaner Simon Smith of SWC Cleaning said the public must check what they are agreeing to and not to make any payment until the job has been carried out satisfactorily. He said: “I take pride in what I do and make sure the job is done properly.” Mr Smith also said English window cleaners should be licensed like they are in Scotland as it would reduce fraud.
While Detective Constable Iain Crouch of Swindon Police said: “The majority of window cleaners have legitimate companies. “When and where the work takes place and its standard should all be agreed before the work is carried out and payment is made. “People should also be mindful or their property and possessions while workers, who may not be known by the person, come to their house.” DC Crouch said Green was an isolated case and wasn’t aware any similar offences over the last five years in Swindon. The Federation of Window Cleaners, who have 1,200 UK members, said they produce a plastic identity card and certificate for those registered with them. They also said reputable window cleaners would have registered contact details, which can be easily checked by the public. Judge Michael Longman said Green would be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Friday, February 19. Green has been remanded in custody.

Firm is offering training for redundant workers: An industrial cleaning firm, which won support on television’s Dragon’s Den, is offering training to people made redundant in the recession. UK Commercial Cleaning Services (UKCC), which founder Tony Earnshaw grew from a window cleaning round to a £1.5m turnover business, has offered ten work placements for people between the ages of 18 and 65. Washington-based UKCC, which Mr Earnshaw established with £300 five years ago, when he was 19, has teamed up with training provider ESG Sencia to provide participants with skills in window cleaning, basic commercial cleaning and customer relations, over a 13-week period. The aim of the training programme, linked to the New Deal scheme, is to give people a boost in their confidence and allow them to add the experience to their CV.
Trainees are based at the company’s Washington hub for four out of five working days and use the fifth day to search for jobs. Mr Earnshaw, who received investment from North-Eastbased entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne in the last series of Dragons’ Den, decided to offer the training after seeing the devastating effects that the recession is having on workers in the region. He said: “It is devastating that people are struggling to find work. We hope to show skills can be transferable and it’s not difficult to take the bold step of applying for jobs in a different industry.
“We hope to continue to offer these placements and that the training helps towards gaining employment.”

City businesses to unite - again (Australia): Moves are afoot to establish Warrnambool's largest-ever chamber of commerce group to represent businesses and consumers. An informal cross-section of business community representatives has been discussing the proposal for about six months and hopes to hold a public meeting to elect a committee to run the new organisation. It would give traders across the municipality a united voice and fill a void left by the demise of several previous representative groups. About 1500 businesses are based in Warrnambool and there about about 6000 registered business names, yet there is no umbrella organisation as in other regional centres. "It's for all businesses from the handyman service, butcher, window cleaner through to the multi-nationals for the greater Warrnambool - north, east, west and central."

Scrubbing, scraping & pole-ing, these guys really need to invest in a water fed pole!

Mr. Love Miracle Glass Cleaner

Kevin Love: The best new product of 2008-09. At least that's how the Minnesota Timberwolves are touting their excellent rookie forward in a spoof "infomercial" the team is distributing as a campaign for rookie of the year honors. In the short video that features highlights, stats and plenty of infomercial cheese, Love is touting "Mr. Love Miracle Glass Cleaner," a product he says helps him clean the glass consistently to a streak-free shine. "I've had so much success that people keep asking me, 'Kevin, how do you keep the backboards so clean?'" the one-and-done former UCLA star says in his best impersonation of a campy infomercial host. "Well today, I'm here to share that secret with all of you."
The team has also built a Web site - http://www.votemrlove.com/ to show the video and build support for a player who has quietly put up one of the better rebounding seasons by a rookie in league history. "Mr. Love Glass Cleaner will give you that clean, streak-free glass every time you use it," a voiceover gushes. "And Mr. Love does all the work for you." The marketing campaign, sent to about 125 media members who vote on the award is necessary because Love's progress has gone largely unnoticed playing for the Timberwolves (21-54), who have the fifth-worst record in the league. "Kevin's played very, very well. He's got to be in consideration for rookie of the year," said coach Kevin McHale. "I think he's done a lot, and he's just going to get better and better and better."

The kit the team is sending out to media members across the country also includes a sample size of the glass cleaner, a Kevin Love shammy and a "Mr. Love Sponge." In his short time at UCLA, Love didn't take an acting class, something he said should be apparent in the video. "You saw in the infomercial, I didn't look that good acting," Love said. "That was part of the joke. I don't think I'm going to end up on the big screen anytime soon."

Window Washer Dies After Fall in Bloomington

Minneapolis: A window washer fell to his death outside an office tower in Bloomington while working with his brother and their sister's fiance, a relative said today. Jacob John Jennings, 20, of Coon Rapids, fell Saturday shortly after 10:15 a.m. at the 8500 Tower, near Interstate Hwy. 494 and Normandale Boulevard, the Hennepin County medical examiner's office said this morning. Jennings died the next morning, the examiner's office said, from "multiple blunt force injuries in a fall from height." Jennings, and his brother, Randy (Duke) Jennings, and future brother-in-law Joshua Westegard were working together when Jacob fell about 25 feet and struck "some type of cement planters" head-first, said Cindy Halgren, an aunt. "They don't know how he fell or why he fell," said Halgren, explaining what the family has learned from police. "He hit those planters first, then he hit the ground," she said. " If he hadn't hit head-first, he probably could've survived."
Police said Jacob Jennings was working on the southwest apex of the building at the time. "A coworker observed him sliding down the angled window trying to grab onto something," said Deputy Chief Perry Heles. "The victim fell out of view and was later found on the ground." Several of the coworkers flagged down a police officer on routine patrol and explained what had happened. Jennings was stabilized and taken by ambulance to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died Sunday morning. Ropes, ladders and harnesses were at the scene, Heles said, but "we don't know yet what types of safety devices he was actively utilizing." At about that time, the National Weather Service was reporting calm winds, with a partly cloudy sky and a temperature of 45 degrees. At 381 feet and 24 stories, the 21-year-old 8500 Tower is the tallest building in the Twin Cities suburbs. It is one of four buildings that comprise the 1.43 million-square-foot Normandale Lake Office Park.
The three window washers worked for City Heights Window Services of Anoka. Officials there were not immediately available to comment. The office park is managed by NorthMarq LLC. Lisa Dongoske, a senior vice president, said that her company has had a "very long, good relationship" with City Heights "without any incidents." Halgren said Jacob had worked for Citywide for about two years, and she was unaware of him having any incidents while on the job.
She said that if window washing "was not the perfect job for Jacob, nothing was. He liked heights."
Known in the family as a daredevil and a jokester, Jacob "did a backflip off the stage" during graduation ceremonies at Braham High School in 2007, Halgren said. "The kids just went nuts," she said. "The whole crowd went wild." More recently, Jacob during two graduation parties in the family "went to the top of a shed and did a backflip onto the trampoline," she said. "He wanted to make everybody a little nervous and laugh at the same time."

Ole Balances Student, Campaigning roles & Window Cleaning

At 7 p.m. on Halloween, Ole Hovde and his two man crew drew little attention as they walked into Comstock Hall. Their armloads of fliers and political visitors’ nametags were minor fashion accents compared with the residents’ elaborate costumes.
His volunteers slid fliers under doors while Hovde tried to convince his fellow students that it was OK to vote for someone with an “R” after their name on the ballot. He spoke of his liberal social policies and desire to freeze tuition, attributing his Republican endorsement to his conservative financial policies.
Most students were curious about a fellow student running for office — “You haven’t even graduated yet; how are you going to write a bill?” one student asked. Hovde said he would take his ideas for bills to the same lawyers at the capitol who draft bills for other Representatives.
Taking 15 credits while running his window-washing business and campaigning has been cutting into his sleep and exercise time, he said, though his class attendance has actually improved this semester.
His pickup truck, filled with boxes of fliers, empty 5-Hour Energy bottles, and fast food wrappers shows the frantic pace his candidacy has brought to his life.
As of Oct. 20, Hovde had raised just under $12,000 to fund his campaign, $4,190 of which came from a state subsidy given to all House candidates who agree to follow campaign finance guidelines.
He also raised nearly $7,485 in individual contributions. Of that, $4,450 was itemized, and $2,150 came from people whose last names were Hovde.
Hovde said he refused to talk to any of the special interest groups that approached him, because he wanted to serve the people of District 59B, and not special interests.
His opponent, 36-year incumbent Phyllis Kahn, has raised considerably more money, at $26,422. Of that money, $5,350 came from various political action committees including Education Minnesota, the Minneapolis Police Relief Association , and Minneapolis Fire Department Relief Association .
Volunteer support for his campaign has come from a group of about five core people, Hovde said.
“They’ve done more for me than I could ever have asked,” Hovde said.
Hovde made the decision to run a year ago when he was interning at the state capitol, he said. He read up on Kahn, and decided District 59B needed a change.
Quick to acknowledge Kahn’s intelligence and education, Hovde said he felt compelled to run because she wasn’t doing enough to fight for students.
“My tuition has gone up $2,400 while I’ve been a student, and she hasn’t done anything to stop that,” he said.

State Representative Ole - Does Windows

Above picture: Moderators signal time left at the debate between State Representative candidates Ole Hovde, Phyllis Kahn, and Ron Lischeid at Willey Hall on Monday evening. The debate was hosted by the Minnesota Republic and will be the only debate between these candidates before the election. In their first and only debate of the election, candidates for Minnesota House District 59B sparred Monday night at Willey Hall.
Fielding questions from the moderator and the audience, challengers Ole Hovde and Ron Lischeid fought to gain a foothold against 18-term Rep. Phyllis KahnHovde, the Republican candidate and University of Minnesota senior, advocated for fewer taxes and less spending throughout the debate. On tuition, Hovde said he would seek a tuition freeze and seek to work with the Board of Regents to determine University funding priorities. “What’s going to cut tuition costs are tuition freezes,” he said. Rep. Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, touted work-study programs as the best way to cut costs for students, while Independence Party candidate Lischeid advocated for a system in which Minnesotans use their state income tax to pay off their student debt. Kahn and Hovde also disagreed on how to promote small business growth in the state. “One of the things that I think is most important,” Kahn said, “is the idea of the educated workforce.” Hovde, who runs a window washing business, took offense to the comment, and called for lower taxes on businesses. “Promoting business and job growth is not by new taxes,” he said. “Small businesses drive Minnesota. Small businesses need to thrive.”

Hovde for state House: The Minnesota Legislature is divided into 134 districts, more than many other states in the country. District 59B surrounds the University of Minnesota, which has been represented by Brooklyn, New York native Phyllis Kahn since 1972. She has voted for more tax increases than almost anyone to sit in the House with her during her entire career. She has spent her time writing bills allowing fourth graders to vote. She has even been convicted of violating campaign laws. The people of our district (mostly college students) deserve a new voice to represent our needs and views at the capitol in St. Paul. There is no better person for the job than University student Ole Hovde.
Ole is a Minnesota resident pursuing a degree in political science at the University. He owns a small business (a window washing company) and has been active in politics for many years. I personally worked with Ole in the House of Representatives when we interned together during a session. He has the temperament and background to make a great representative for the 36,000-plus residents that reside in this district.

Ole Hovde below, "Does Windows" a member of the Master Window Cleaners of America.

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