Beaverton janitors and SEIU Local 49 members Alexis Lathrop (Left) and Layli Sheese (Right) testify at the June 18, 2024 Beaverton City Council meeting.

The City of Beaverton’s longstanding practice of investing in good jobs for janitors may be coming to an end. For years, the City has contracted with Relay Resources, a nonprofit janitorial company that primarily employs people with disabilities to clean City Hall, the Libraries and Public Safety Building, and other facilities. But these jobs are now at risk, and the people who currently clean Beaverton buildings are calling on City officials to change course before it’s too late.

“I’ve been with Relay for nine years, and I clean the Beaverton Building,” said Marlin Smith. “Being both Black and disabled makes me subject to a lot of suspicion and discrimination. Having a union means that we stand up for our rights and be protected if we are mistreated or discriminated against. A non-union company would be able to hire new workers at much lower pay, and people with low-paying jobs just don’t have the motivation to give it their best. I hope the City will stick with a union contractor.”

At issue is the City of Beaverton’s recent proposal to switch to a different janitorial contractor, Northwest Success. In 2021, the company promised to honor its employees’ decision if a majority formed a union, then broke its promise and claimed that workers with disabilities may lack the “capacity” to be union members.

A number of current Beaverton janitors have voiced concerns about the potential for unfair treatment if Northwest Success took over Beaverton’s cleaning contract.

Janitor Travis Sturgis said, “I’ve worked for Relay for 17 years and have spent the last three years at the Police Headquarters. I really like the City staff and police that I work with, and the Headquarters is close to where I live. To me, having a union means having job security. The people who run Northwest Success used to run Relay when it was called PHC. I remember when PHC started using a new timeclock system. I had trouble learning the new system, and the person who is now the Operations Manager of Northwest Success wrote me up the first time I made a mistake clocking in using the new system. I’m worried about myself and other disabled workers not having job security and safety from unfair write-ups.”

Vincente Pupo Garcia reported a similar concern. “I have been a Relay janitor for 15 years, and I clean the Griffith Park building. Many of the same managers now working at Northwest Success used to be managers at Relay, and when they were my managers, they fired me when I was accused of something I didn’t do. Working with my union, I was able to get my job back and be paid for the month that I was out of work. Especially for people with disabilities, having a union so you have a way to defend yourself when you are falsely accused is very important.”

In June, Beaverton City Council considered a proposed cleaning contract with Northwest Success but paused after hearing its janitors’ concerns. The City might save some money switching to Northwest Success, but this likely would come at the expense of janitors’ jobs and benefits. The proposed contract would mean fewer cleaning positions, and Northwest Success has a history of employing fewer workers with disabilities, thus reducing opportunities for workers with disabilities.

What’s more, cost savings in the short term could mean problems in the long run. Northwest Success has been involved in controversial news reports and it and it's parent, DPI, have lost service contracts with other local agencies for that and other reasons.

City of Beaverton staff have said they have a “vested interest” in pushing through a contract with Northwest Success as soon as possible, according to internal emails obtained through a public records request.[i] It seems only leadership from City Council, and continued advocacy by janitors and their community allies, can ensure that the City of Beaverton maintains its investment in good jobs.

If you live or work in Beaverton, click here to email Beaverton City Council, asking them to create good jobs for local workers and protect their rights and well being, including workers with disabilities.

[i] On May 17, City of Beaverton Facilities Manager Travis Taylor wrote in an email to the staff of Oregon Dept. of Administrative Services and its Oregon Forward program, “I would like to have Gary Thompson,

facilities supervisor and Grace Wong, City Attorney’s office on the call [to discuss the contract transition] as we have all a vested interest in the success of this transition and program.”

On June 20, two days after Beaverton City Council heard a second set of testimonies from affected janitors and chose not to approve the proposed contract with Northwest Success, Inc., Beaverton Public Works Director Tim Elsea emailed Facilities Manager Travis Taylor, Asst. City Manager Dan Weinheimer, City Attorney Bill Kirby, Asst. City Attorney Grace Wong, and Facilities Lead Gary Thompson. He named three issues he thought Council members were concerned about and wrote, “If those three things can be confirmed quickly, I would recommend getting this [proposed contract] back in front of council on July 2nd.”