News

Don’t be fooled by the colorfully framed family photos on Lilia Garcia’s bookshelves, or the volume of Maya Angelou’s poetry, or the collection of coffee mugs with cheery sayings. Garcia is no mushy, stuffed-animal-loving softie. Her tiny, windowless office is the command center for a long-running battle against outlaw cleaning companies that prey on low-wage …

Speaking up for exploited workers: Lilia Garcia and her squad of investigators make sure janitorial services operating outside the law pay Read More »

The United States Department of Labor announced yesterday that it had reached a $1.9 million settlement with a contractor for the Target Corporation after finding that the contractor had not paid overtime to hundreds of immigrant janitors who often worked seven nights a week cleaning Target stores. Several janitors said in interviews that the Target …

U.S. Wins Back Pay For Janitors Read More »

The Cheesecake Factory and a janitorial contractor have been found liable in a $4.57 million wage theft case involving hundreds of underpaid janitorial workers at eight California locations, the state’s Department of Industrial Relations said on Monday, sending a strong message to businesses that they are accountable for workplace violations — even if their workers …

Cheesecake Factory Is Found Partly Liable in $4.6 Million Janitor Wage Theft Case Read More »

Every night, after the last show ended at the AMC theater in Santa Monica, Maria Alvarez arrived at work. She and her husband had a key to let themselves in. It was after midnight, and the building was empty. Together, they cleaned all seven auditoriums. They vacuumed the carpets and mopped the floors. They cleaned …

How America’s Biggest Theater Chains Are Exploiting Their Janitors Read More »

Lilia Garcia-Brower, 45, is executive director of the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund. The Los Angeles- based organization investigates wage theft and other abuses in the janitorial industry, which is notorious for paying workers below minimum wage. The organization, funded by unionized janitorial companies, partners with government enforcement agencies or organizes private lawsuits to bring cases. …

Fighting to make sure janitors get a fair wage Read More »