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County service provider could lose pact under ordinance
Uniform firm must pay 'living wage'
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More from County NewsThe company that provides uniforms for hundreds of Ventura County workers could lose its contract because the county is demanding it pay its workers at least $11 an hour.
That's the minimum allowed under the county's "living wage" ordinance, which applies to county workers and to the employees of most firms that contract to provide services to the county.
In the past, the county classified Prudential Overall Supply as a provider of goods, not services, so the living wage did not apply.
The county has changed that classification and within the next two weeks will solicit bids for a new contract that includes a living wage provision, said Paul Grossgold, the director of the county General Services Agency.
Prudential is free to bid for the new contract, he said, but the company has declined to pay higher wages when cities with living wage laws asked it to.
Prudential's owners could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
The company cleans the uniforms for road workers, lab technicians and other county workers at its laundry plant in Van Nuys. Prudential owns the uniforms and rents them to the county.
Its current contract is worth about $120,000 a year.
Representatives of Unite Here, the union that represents Prudential employees, went to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday to commend the county on its decision.
"You did the right thing, and you should be applauded for enforcing the law that's on the books and that needs to be enforced to give working people a fair shot," said Brian Callaci, an analyst with Unite Here.
Union members are on strike at Prudential laundry plants across the state, although not at the Van Nuys facility. Workers are demanding better wages and protesting allegedly unfair labor practices.
Posted by sslocal on October 24, 2007 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hmmm, and here I thought this was a system based on capitalism. Every time the Gov. gets involved thing go wrong real quick. This is a perfect example.
Just a guess but if they go ahead and pay the wages the county is demanding they pay will the county's contract allow them to increase the amount the county pay for it's uniforms? I would guess not. So, new contractor/contract and higher prices anyway. We the tax payers will be paying this bill.
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