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Minnesota Custodians Request Workplace Protections for COVID-19

June 16, 2020

Representatives from Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2 are requesting increased workplace protections for union members.

The union, which represents more than 4,000 custodial workers in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, is asking for additional training, daily sanitization of uniforms, and proper personal protective equipment (PPE) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a recent union survey of its members, 20% of respondents do not have gloves, 40% lack masks, and 45% report receiving no additional coronavirus prevention training.

“Our members have borne the brunt of the virus. As more people are venturing out, we demand safety,” said Local 26 President Iris Altamirano in a conference call with The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.