Cleaners, SEIU seek county backing for American Dream Mall janitors amid alleged labor abuses

Janitors contracted to clean the American Dream Mall and representatives of SEIU Local 32BJ urged the Bergen County Board of Commissioners to support a county resolution backing the cleaners, alleging repeated labor-law violations and workplace harassment by contractors at the mall.

Sebastian Ramirez, who identified himself as a cleaner for Excel Facility Group (a subcontractor working at the American Dream Mall), told commissioners, "the labor abuse continues" and described assignments of up to two separate areas totaling about 4,000 square feet for one worker, cut hours, reduced pay and illegal firings. "We are organizing ourselves because we cannot live with low salaries that the cleaning contractors are paying us," Ramirez said.

Luz Garate, district leader for SEIU Local 32BJ, said the union represents thousands of building cleaners across New Jersey and outlined a history of complaints and board actions. She told the commissioners the workforce has pursued claims with the National Labor Relations Board and state labor agencies, won cases for fired workers, and successfully challenged harassment by supervisors. "We won against law breaking contractors that American Dream Mall hires and tolerates," Ramirez said.

Garate named a sequence of contractors: previous supervisors and a 2022 incident that led to two workers being fired and later reinstated after agency action; and a newer contractor, Excel Facility Group, which she said has cut hours and pay and caused workers to leave. She thanked Commissioner Sullivan for helping draft a proposed county resolution and thanked Chairwoman Amoroso and Commissioner Ortiz for attending a recent strike.

The public record shows the board later approved a consent agenda that included multiple routine resolutions. Public speakers at the meeting thanked commissioners for drafting and supporting a resolution in the cleaners’ favor, and asked formally that the board record its support.

No detailed remedy or county enforcement action was announced during the meeting. The county’s role, as discussed in public comment, is limited to passing a symbolic resolution and using its purchasing or permitting leverage if applicable; the speakers said labor-board and federal-court proceedings have been the primary enforcement venues for past claims.

Background and next steps: speakers said the cleaners have staged three strikes over roughly three years, filed charges with federal and state agencies and secured at least some victories. They asked the board to adopt the resolution in support of the workers and to consider additional county-level steps if appropriate.