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Small and disadvantaged businesses will gain new opportunities under janitorial contracts awarded by the Port of Seattle for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to an article on the Aviation Pros website. The Port broke up its large exclusive contract for janitorial services into more opportunities that will improve customer service, accountability and provide revenue opportunities for more small and disadvantaged businesses.
The four new contracts cover different parts of the facility, with the hope that each will increase performance standards, project an increase in labor hours and number of jobs and include employee retention and labor harmony provisions to protect workers.
“We see this as a win-win-win for passengers, workers and small businesses,” Lance Lyttle, managing director at Sea-Tac Airport, said in the article.
Under the new contracts, small businesses will perform services equal to approximately 45 percent of the four contracts combined. In addition, each new contract is required to provide employee retention by extending an offer to existing employees for a minimum of 180 days as well a written labor peace guarantee with the current custodial labor union, SEIU Local 6.
The winning bidders include:
• C&W Services, a national company based out of Massachusetts, partnering with Whayne Enterprises, a small, minority-owned business based out of Denver.
• PRIDE Industries, a non-profit social enterprise based in Roseville, California that creates jobs for people with disabilities and veterans, partnering with Evergreen Building Services, LLC, a small, woman-owned business based in Mill Creek, Wash.
For the first time, the contract will be structured to set consistent cleanliness targets that will be monitored and regularly audited, providing a goal for contractors and incentives for exceptional performance to drive accountability. If a contractor fails to perform to standard, the airport has the option to terminate the contract and re-bid the work.
Read the article here.