SEIU Local 2: Media Advisory-All 17 Brentwood Mall Cleaners & Maintenance Workers Stand to Lose Their Jobs

BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - March 21, 2011) - The entire cleaning and maintenance staff at the Brentwood Town Centre stand to lose their jobs as a new property manager takes over the mall and looks to contract the work out, without making any commitments to the existing employees.

BACKGROUND:

Brentwood Town Centre workers, many of whom have worked in the mall for a considerable amount of time, have been able to win benefits for their families over the years and make improvements to their wages.

Rufino Lumayag has worked at the mall for 11 years and feels Brentwood is an important part of his life "It was my first job in Canada; I grew up in this mall and lived in the neighbourhood for a long time," he says. "I met my first wife here and my eldest daughter came to the mall when she was just five days old. My whole family has spent a great deal of time here. I love this mall—it's part of my life."

Now Shape Properties, the new managers, have made it clear that they have no intention of retaining staff or making a commitment to maintain wages and standards for the workers when they contract out the work.

Brentwood Mall used to be considered a community partner in Burnaby. Back in 2008 Brentwood Town Centre won the "Burnaby Community Spirit Award," and to this day, their motto is "Fits your Family." But workers are asking "what kind of community partner eliminates decent paying jobs with benefits in our community?"

The Service Employees International Union is the largest and fastest growing union in North America, with 100,000 workers in Canada and two million workers across Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico.