Milwaukee County looks to spend hundreds of thousands more for janitors.... 

Where as Roombaundefinedarguably the most popular robot vacuum on the marketundefineduses a tried and true pre-programmed algorithm to randomly explore and clean the floors in your home. Neato's robotic vacuumsundefinedincluding its new BotVacundefineduse a built-in laser scanner to map a room and plan out the most efficient cleaning route.

So besides maximizing its battery life by avoiding cleaning the same area twice, the BotVac will actually remember exactly where it left off in a room when it has to automatically return to its base station to charge, and resume from that spot when it's good to go again. And since it cleans with a straightforward back and forth pattern, anyone who loves straight vacuum lines on their carpet will certainly want to upgrade.

SEXPAND

But navigation prowess isn't the only feather in the BotVac's cap. It's also a pretty great vacuum, boasting the largest rotating brush on any robot vac currently on the market, and the ability to clean less than half-an-inch away from a wall .... 

More at source: GIZMODO

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YAKIMA, Wash. undefined Workers at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital will stage an informational picket this afternoon.

As the hospital moves ahead with a possible new partnership or affiliation, “it continues to stall on contract negotiations for healthcare workers,” SEIU Healthcare 1199NW said in a news release.

Memorial announced last year that it is seeking to affiliate with a larger health care organization to bolster its financial status in an increasingly uncertain health care industry.

Workers will picket before and after shifts, and during their breaks, according to the union.

More at source: Yakima Herald

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More at source: NY Daily News

ABM Building Services, a division of ABM Industries Inc.’s (ABM - Analyst Report) Building and Energy Solutions, recently acquired the service assets and complete service business of Alpha Mechanical, Inc. for an undisclosed amount. Alpha Mechanical will continue to operate its design and build construction business independently from its headquarters in San Diego, CA.

Alpha Mechanical provides a range of services including HVAC service, energy solutions, building controls, plumbing service and process piping in commercial, life science, education, military and municipal government buildings.

Lake Success, NY - March 7th, 2014 - Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced that a Queens janitorial company was ordered on March 6 to pay six employees back wages totaling more than $39,000 and more than $56,000 in unemployment insurance to the New York State Department of Labor
Ashland Building Services, Inc., of Sunnyside, was ordered by Nassau County District Court Judge Tricia Ferrell to pay $38,264.50 in overtime wages and $56,463.77 in unemployment insurance. The payment orde...

In a unanimous Tuesday vote, a Los Angeles City Council committee voted to authorize a study on nearly doubling the minimum wage for employees of large hotels in the nation’s second-largest city. The L.A. proposal is one of several municipal moves toward raising wages well above the 5-year-old federal rate of $7.25; at $15.37, it would set a local hotel industry wage floor far beyond the $10.10 proposed by congressional Democrats.

“I’m 38 years old,” hotel worker Melinda Miyashiro told the committee, according to her prepared remarks. “My husband and I want to start a family – but I can’t see how we could afford it.”

The proposal for a study undefined on the “citywide economic impact” of a hotel wage hike, due in 45 days undefined was introduced last week by L.A. council members Mike Bonin, Nury Martinez and Curren Price. The proposed $15.37 mandate is backed by a coalition including the hotel union UNITE HERE (my former employer), and the union-backed nonprofit Los Angeles Alliance for a New 

More at source: Salon.com

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The ServiceMaster Company, LLC Reports Preliminary Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2013 Financial Results

Fourth-Quarter 2013

• Revenue increased 6% to $713 million
• Pre-tax net loss of $23 million; 11% decline versus prior year
• Adjusted EBITDA(1) increased 9% to $90 million

Full-Year 2013

• Revenue of $3.2 billion was flat to prior year; 8% revenue decline at TruGreen offset 4% growth in remaining businesses
• Pre-tax net loss of $627 million included $673 million of non-cash goodwill and trade name impairment charges related to TruGreen in second-quarter 2013
• Adjusted EBITDA decreased $95 million to $476 million; $127 million decline at TruGreen more than offset growth in the remaining businesses
• Company completed the spin-off of the TruGreen business from the ServiceMaster portfolio on January 14, 2014

February 27, 2014 // Franchising.com // MEMPHIS, TENN - The ServiceMaster Company, LLC, one of the world’s largest residential and commercial service networks, today announced preliminary unaudited fourth-quarter and full-year 2013 results. The company reported fourth-quarter 2013 revenue of $713 million, an increase of approximately 6 percent compared to the same period in 2012. The company reported full-year 2013 revenue of $3.2 billion, relatively flat compared to the same period in 2012.

The company reported a fourth-quarter 2013 pre-tax net loss of $23 million, versus a pre-tax net loss of $20 million one year ago. The company reported a full-year 2013 pre-tax loss of $627 million. This compares to a pre-tax loss of $827 million one year ago. Both periods included goodwill and trade name impairment charges at TruGreen, $673 million in 2013 and $909 million in 2012.

The company reported fourth-quarter 2013 Adjusted EBITDA of $90 million, an increase of $8 million compared to the same period in 2012. The increase was primarily driven by the impact of higher revenue in fourth-quarter 2013 and lower claims costs at American Home Shield, partially offset by higher selling expenses to drive growth, primarily at American Home Shield and discrete charges at Terminix. The company reported full-year 2013 Adjusted EBITDA of $476 million, $95 million lower compared to one year ago, driven by the $127 million Adjusted EBITDA decline at TruGreen, which more than offset the Adjusted EBITDA increase in the remaining businesses. A reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA is set forth below in this press release.

"Excluding TruGreen, our fourth-quarter and full-year 2013 financial results for the remaining portfolio met our expectations," said Rob Gillette, ServiceMaster’s chief executive officer. "We’re pleased that Terminix, American Home Shield and ServiceMaster Clean all reported full-year 2013 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA growth versus prior year."

The separation of the TruGreen business from ServiceMaster as a tax-free spin-off of TruGreen through a pro rata dividend to the stockholders of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc., was completed on January 14, 2014.

"This separation should enable ServiceMaster to concentrate on growth and realize our full potential faster," said Gillette. "We believe the future for the remaining ServiceMaster portfolio is compelling. We have great businesses and great people, and we’re committed to taking the steps necessary to continue to drive both revenue and bottom-line growth."

Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year 2013 Earnings Conference Call

The company will discuss its fourth-quarter and full-year 2013 operating results during a conference call at 8 a.m. central time today. To participate on the conference call, interested parties should call 800.732.5617 (or international participants, 212.231.2902). Additionally, the conference call will be available via webcast. A slide presentation highlighting the company’s results and key performance indicators will also be available. To participate via webcast and view the slide presentation, visit the company’s investor relations home page at www.servicemaster.com.

The call will be available for replay until March 27, 2014. To access the replay of this call, please call 800.633.8284 and enter reservation number 21707691 (international participants: 402.977.9140, reservation number 21707691). Or you can review the webcast on the company’s investor relations home page.
For full segment review and forward-looking statements, please visit the Investor section at ServiceMaster.com.

About ServiceMaster

With a global network of more than 7,000 company-owned, franchised and licensed locations, Memphis-based ServiceMaster is one of the world’s largest residential and commercial service networks. The company’s high-profile brands are Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. Through approximately 13,000 company associates and a franchise network that we estimate independently employs over 31,000 additional people, the ServiceMaster family of brands provided services and products to approximately 5 million customers during the last 12 months. The company’s market-leading brands provide a range of residential and commercial services including termite and pest control; home warranties and preventative maintenance contracts; on-site wood furniture repair; home inspections; home cleaning; janitorial services; and disaster restoration. Go to www.servicemaster.com for more information about ServiceMaster or follow us at twitter.com/ServiceMaster or facebook.com/TheServiceMasterCo.

SOURCE ServiceMaster