United Voice News
In this issue:
1. Clean Start win: ‘rewards are incredible’
3. Members making contract change work for them
Dear member,
Welcome to the first edition of our LHMU Cleaners Union e-news.
The last few months have seen CBD office cleaning members vote yes to our first ever Clean Start collective agreement.
Many said it could never happen. But members were determined.
Members were no longer prepared to accept low pay, cuts in hours, unreasonable workloads and no job security.
So we decided to fight for a fair deal. More and more cleaners came together in our union to fight for change.
As we stood strong together we have made our voices heard. We made bosses sit down and bargain our first collective agreement.
Cleaners have won more than better jobs, we have won respect, we have won real change in our industry.
This change is sweeping the whole cleaning industry.
Cleaning members across the state are taking strength from Clean Start members’ win.
Together we can build on this win.
Cleaners in shopping centres and government buildings and schools are standing together to make sure contractors do the right thing on their sites too.
Members at the Arts Centre have stuck together and asked that their new employer is a Responsible Cleaning Contractor committed to doing the right thing.
Clean Start has shown that we can win real change in our jobs and our lives when we stand together.
Members across the cleaning industry know that when we stand together, we win.
Jess Walsh,
Secretary
LHMU Victoria
1. Clean Start win: ‘rewards are incredible’
It was a great feeling being among fellow cleaning members as they voted up the Clean Start agreement, says member organiser Hellen Izvernariu.
Hellen took six weeks off her regular job as a cleaner at Consolidated Property Services to work as a union organiser, alongside eight other cleaning members. This member organiser team held site meetings to tell fellow cleaners about the new agreement.
‘It was rewarding for me going to those building meetings. We could see the hope and brightness in the people’s faces that this was going on and we were going to get the things we were campaigning for.’
Winning the agreement was about more than winning fair pay, four-hour minimum shifts and job security, it was about winning respect.
‘This is a big industry and it needs to be lifted up and we need to be recognised. Without us cleaners where would they be? They would be in rubbish up to their knees.’
Hellen has returned to work after her six weeks as a member organiser.
‘Now that I’m back at work and people are so excited.’
‘They are happier, they are looking forward to having a pay increase and they are happy for other members too.’
‘It’s been a long hard process but the rewards are incredible, both personally and collectively,’ Hellen said.
‘It’s grouse.’
2. A good, clean fight
Members Marie and Jamal tell their stories in a Sunday Age article about Clean Start and our fight for a fair deal.
In the article, Melbourne playwright Michael Gurr describes us as "A silent, usually invisible army of workers is demanding dignity".
Click here to read the article...
3. Members making contract change work for them
Cleaning members at the Arts Centre (pictured) are standing together to make sure contract change works for them.
Cleaners are normally ignored when a new contractor is chosen, even though we can lose our jobs, pay and conditions.
Delegate Randy Guigan said members worked with management to ensure any company that won had signed on as an LHMU Responsible Cleaning Contractor.
‘They (new contractor City Central) have signed on to the Clean Start agreement. That’s a good thing. We don’t want dodgy companies taking over.’
‘This (contract change) has been our one big change in a long time so it’s a new experience.’
Having their jobs safe from day one, with the normal six month probationary period axed, was a very important win for members.
‘We are sticking together to protect our conditions, holidays, pay, everything.’
‘If there are problems, members bring it up and we can talk about it with the company and get on with it,’ Randy said.
‘Unity here has played a big part in getting what we want. We’ve had all our wins because we’ve stuck together.’
I work for a company at the moment that rips off wages from cleaning staff. I would like to protect myself and 400 other cleaners that work for this company. They need someone to help them. I have been bullied and shafted as well.
This company does not like having any staff on board who are union people.
They lie, cheat and rip of wages and blame the area managers for the staff lack of wages.
A lot of the staff do extra time but because their site has gone over budget they do not get paid and when they approach them they get lies and the old fashion run around.
This new site has only been running for 8 weeks and every fortnight they get ripped off.
We need to have a union person to go around and sign them up and let them know they are people to help protect them.
A lot are scared to lose there jobs. A lot will talk. Please help me.