Between 4 and 5 pm this afternoon, members of SEIU Local 32 BJ picketed at 750 Main Street to protest P & J Cleaning Services, LLC.  P & J is the company contracted to clean this building.  According to union flyers, many cleaning workers lost their jobs on January 1, 2009 allegedly because of their union membership, despite years of prior service in the building.  Currently the National Labor Relations Board is investigating P & J. 

Hartford City Council member Luis Cotto addressed the crowd of mostly Hispanic workers and union representatives.   Picketers circled the sidewalk at one of Hartford’s busiest intersections carrying signs and shouting slogans like “si se puede.”

Union leaders are urging people to contact Pablo Villareal of P & J Cleaning Services directly at (860) 778-1009 to ask the company to respect the rights of workers and to re-hire the cleaners who were let go.

SEIU Local 32 BJ can be reached at (860) 560-8674.   Hartford IMC will follow this story as more details emerge.