New lawsuit filed by University of Alberta cleaner against Bee Clean Building
Maintenance

Total claims by employees against company now exceed $50,000.

EDMONTON, Oct. 14 /CNW/ - Sukhwant Mahal, an employee of Bee Clean Building Maintenance at the University of Alberta, filed a lawsuit today claiming he is owed over $9000 in unpaid overtime. Mr Mahal, who has been employed by the cleaning contractor since September of 2008 says he was regularly required to work twelve and a half hour shifts and was not paid overtime premiums as required by the province's labour laws.

"We work extremely hard but the company doesn't respect our rights. I filed this lawsuit because I know if we don't come together to stand up for ourselves they will continue to cheat us out of our hard earned wages" said Mr. Mahal.

The lawsuit comes just weeks after Bee Clean employees at the University of Alberta filed a number of legal complaints alleging the cleaning contractor had violated their rights. On October 1, five lawsuits were filed on behalf of Bee Clean employees claiming over $40,000 in unpaid overtime pay. In a separate complaint filed with the Alberta Labour Relations Board the same day, it is alleged that Bee Clean Building Maintenance illegally terminated Tarik Accord, a long standing employee, because she supported forming a union with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The complaint also claims Bee Clean threatened workers on the Temporary Foreign Workers Program that they would be 'sent home' if they supported the union.

"The latest lawsuit is just more proof that we need to stick together if we want to win our rights. If we don't the company will continue to mistreat us." said Tarik Accord

The cleaners at the University are receiving support from across the campus. Last week students and faculty began circulating petitions in support of Bee Clean employees. A meeting to build support for the cleaners is planned for next week.

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.

For further information:

Merryn Edwards                          780-910-1951

For more information visit www.J4JatUofA.org