Twitter Cancels Janitors’ Contracts After Union Strike Outside HQ

The Twitter logo is seen on a sign on the exterior of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 28, 2022 Constanza Hevia/AFP via Getty Images

Elon Musk’s Twitter has fired the entire 48-member janitor contract staff at Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, after they protested in solidarity with 20 of their former colleagues who were fired last week.

This came after negotiations for a new contract with Flagship, the company responsible for contracting the janitors, fell through. The last day of the janitor’s contract is Dec. 9.

On Dec. 2, after they demanded more wages, “benefits, and job protections,” 20 janitors were fired without notice during the contract dispute, a representative from SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Local 87 told The New Republic.

Twitter then canceled the other janitors’ contracts on Dec. 6 in response to the solidarity protests.

Many of Musk’s critics are taking the opportunity to accuse his company of being in violation of local laws and of being cruel for firing the janitors just weeks before Christmas.

“Our cleaning contractor at Twitter was told by Twitter that they are cutting the contract,” Olga Miranda, union president for the janitors, told The Blaze. “So we have about 48 families out of work. And it just so happens that it’s three weeks before Christmas.”

State Labor Laws

The union organized a strike with the remaining janitors to protest their colleagues’ firings, and slammed Twitter’s contractor for its decision to fire the janitors, which the union alleges is in clear violation of state labor laws.

“Twitter indicates their new contractor will not be rehiring the janitors, despite obligation to rehire per county and state requirements,” California Labor Federation (CLF) said in a tweet on Dec. 5. CLF represents 1,200 California unions.

“Twitter doesn’t seem to understand how important it is to keep a clean house and respect the people who take out the trash.”

The unemployed janitors were seen protesting in front of Twitter’s headquarters, holding signs reading “Proud to be union” and “Justice for janitors,” reported The Washington Times.

“BREAKING: SEIU Local 87 Janitors at Twitter HQ went on strike at 6am today. Picket line starting at 12 noon, 1355 Market St. in San Francisco. #TakeOnTheTwit,” the CLF wrote in a tweet on Dec. 6.

SEIU told The New Republic that it will continue the protest until its demands are met.

The former cleaning contractors want either their jobs to be reinstated or given some form of compensation for lost wages and for being abruptly fired without notice.

Elizabeth Strater, the CLF communications director, told Gizmodo in an email that their plan is to “maintain a presence picketing outside Twitter HQ this week.”

Californian labor law states that unionized janitors must be given a rehire offer and granted a mandatory 90-day transition employment period, noted Strater.

Musk Deals With Employee Controversies Since Acquisition of Twitter

Other former Twitter employees have filed lawsuits against Musk, which range from accusations of his insensitive behavior when they were fired, to the loss of former staffers’ severance packages, which were promised to them before his acquisition of the company, but were soon denied after their termination.

Musk has previously laid off unionized workers, when Tesla laid off 280 janitors and bus drivers at the onset of the pandemic in April 2020.

Other major tech firms, like Facebook and Google, pledged to keep paying their support staff workers during the pandemic, reported Vice. Three years later, Facebook has announced that it will have to cut 13 percent of its workforce due to losses in revenue.

Musk said in November that Twitter is currently losing more than $4 million each day due to its losses in revenue.

The Epoch Times reached out to Twitter for comment and has yet to receive a response.