Janitorial Firm Illegally Fired NYC Cleaner, NLRB Judge Rules

• Judge found cleaner to be credible witness
• Direct evidence of anti-union hostility in case

A janitorial service company violated federal labor law by threatening, suspending, and ultimately firing a cleaner for her union activities, a National Labor Relations Board judge ruled.

Harvard Maintenance Inc. committed the unfair labor practices against cleaner Carina Cruz, who worked at an office building in Manhattan at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Administrative Law Judge Jeffrey Gardner said in his Wednesday ruling.

Cruz was one of about 60 cleaners hired to perform work under a contract Harvard Maintenance had with building management, as well as a separate agreement with PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd. to clean its offices there. ...

More at source: Bloomberg Law

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New deadly bird flu cases reported in Iowa, joining 3 other states as disease resurfaces

Two commercial turkey farms in Iowa have been hit by the reemerging highly pathogenic bird flu, causing about 100,000 birds to be killed to prevent the disease from spreading.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture reported the infected commercial poultry flocks within weeks of a turkey farm in South Dakota and one in Utah reporting the first outbreaks in the U.S. since April, raising concerns that more would follow.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture shows 12 commercial flocks in South Dakota, Utah and Minnesota have been affected in October, totaling more than 500,000 birds.

Bird flu last year cost U.S. poultry producers nearly 59 million birds across 47 states..

More at source: CBS

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Many Common Cleaning Products Contain Harmful Chemicals—It’s Safer to Go 'Green'

Do your cleaning products contain harmful chemicals?

When it comes to keeping your home clean, tidy, and smelling fresh, most people reach for general cleaning products, including all-purpose sprays, glass cleaners, and air fresheners. 

However, new research found these popular cleaning supplies, whether used in occupational or home settings, have been found to emit hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be harmful to your health.¹

VOCs are a large group of chemicals that can easily evaporate into the air and pollute your indoor environment or air quality, explained Alexis Temkin, PhD, joint first author of the study and EWG senior toxicologist. 

More at source: Health.com

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2,000 Philly building workers get raises as SEIU 32BJ ratifies ‘historic’ contract with building owners

Workers gathered for a vote on Friday afternoon at the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia on Chestnut Street. Following the vote, they rallied outside the church, clad in purple SEIU shirts, chanting a call and response of ”32!″ and “BJ!”

The new agreement includes wage increases of 18.6% over the life of the four-year contract, as well as a bonus for union members. It came without cuts to workers’ hours, which union members worried would be on the table given the building owners’ push for flexibility as they contend with record-high building vacancies and low occupancy due to a shift toward remote and hybrid work schedules.

The union also got an additional paid holiday for Juneteenth, improved retirement benefits, and expanded dental benefits while existing health-care benefits were maintained. The contract also strengthened protections for pregnant workers, the union said.

More at source: Philadelphia Inquirer

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'Disease X' likely to be 20 times more deadlier than Covid-19, says expert. What is it?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) dubbed the potential next pandemic as ‘Disease X’ and said that it may already be on its way.

After over three years of small and big waves, coronavirus has now drastically reduced and become a familiar health concern. Now, healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom are gearing up for a potential new pandemic ‘Disease X’. According to experts, the new virus may be deadlier than Covid-19 - which has claimed nearly seven million lives - and may have a similar impact as the Spanish Flu.

More at source: HT Times

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Lawsuit filed over cleaning worker who died in department store bathroom, body not found for days

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The family of a cleaning worker whose body remained in a locked bathroom at a department store for days after she died filed suit Tuesday against the Belk chain, saying her body was so decomposed they couldn’t even hold an open casket funeral.

Bessie Durham, a 63-year-old worker with a contractor hired to clean the Belk store near Columbia, South Carolina, went into a family bathroom around 7 a.m. on a Thursday in 2022 and died shortly after from a cardiac problem, attorney Chris Hart said.

Durham had clocked in for work but never clocked out and her cleaning cart sat outside the locked door for four days until Columbia Police called the store trying to find Durham because her family reported the woman missing, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday.

More at source: Associated Press

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CDC reveals top Covid hotspots in the US as hospitalisations surge

The highest numbers of new hospitalisations last week per individual person was at 740 in Los Angeles County, California, whereas 351 different counties reported zero hospitalisations.

The highest number of hospital admissions by state per 100,00 this week was still Florida (11.2) and Hawaii (9.46), which were also the highest on 29 August. Some states have risen by a point of two and others have fallen, such as Mississippi, which was at 6.5 two weeks ago and is now at 6.18.

More at source: US News & World Report

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What to know about COVID as hospitalizations go up and some places bring back masks

A late-summer uptick in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths has some schools, hospitals and other businesses scrambling to keep illness from spreading.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an 18.8% increase in hospitalizations due to COVID between Aug. 13 and Aug. 19, marking the sixth straight week of increased hospitalizations; and a 17.6% increase in COVID deaths from Aug. 20 to Aug. 26. Still, hospitalizations remain in the CDC's "low" category in most places and aren't as high as past years at this time.

Experts say currently circulating variants don't necessarily cause more severe acute infection than previous variants, but there is still a risk of long-term effects from COVID. A new vaccine booster targeting the variants is expected to be available mid-September.

More at source: USA Today

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This Inexpensive, Impressive Bathroom-Cleaning Robot Signals the Death of Janitorial Jobs

And check out the job this little fella does, opening and closing doors for itself, riding the elevator between floors, hitting the cans, walls and floors with high-powered disinfectant and water sprays, lifting the lids to clean underneath, then vacuuming everything dry and stowing the vacuum on its back before going on its way.

And I guess it can`t clean sinks and mirrors, take out the trash or change toilet paper -Matt

More at source: Core

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News about Coronavirus Omicron variant

If you’re at high risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19, it’s time to dust off those N95 masks and place them snugly over your nose and mouth to protect yourself from a recent uptick of the virus, according to a growing number of experts.

That advice should go all the way up to 80-year-old President Joe Biden, said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a cardiologist.

“Octogenarians comprise the highest-risk group for complications following Covid infection,” Reiner said...

More at source: CNN

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