Owner of janitorial company: Palm Beach County wants to underpay janitors
The owner of a janitorial firm is once again calling out Palm Beach County officials for putting a contract out to bid that could result in janitors being paid the minimum hourly wage of just $12 an hour.
The current bid specifications would allow the successful bidder to pay the state’s minimum wage as opposed to the county’s “living wage,” which must be paid to all construction workers hired for county work. It calls for an hourly payment of $14.83, 24% more than the minimum wage. The higher living wage rate is used to pay janitors who work at Palm Beach County International Airport.
“How can the county justify paying different salaries to people who do exactly the same work?” asked David Melendez, the president of Dammel Cleaning Enterprise, a company whose janitors currently clean multiple county-owned buildings, including the Government Center complex in West Palm Beach. His company is the subcontractor hired to do the janitorial work at the airport.
Efforts to obtain comment from county officials were unsuccessful.
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The Post reported in May 2022 that the county’s Facilities & Operations Division was prepared to put out to bid a contract for janitorial services that would then have allowed a contractor to pay the minimum wage. Former commissioner David Kerner and others objected, saying that janitors deserved to be paid under the county’s Living Wage ordinance. The Facilities’ division agreed to review the matter.
“Here we go again,” Melendez said. “I am very disappointed. I thought we would see something different after county commissioners reacted to The Palm Beach Post article. It is as if nothing has changed.”
Melendez said he would submit a bid for the work but expects to be edged out by a firm that will pay the minimum wage. It will be raised to $12 an hour.
“I cannot in good conscience pay my people $12 an hour,” said Melendez. “The county shows total disdain for hardworking janitors who clean county facilities. Most of our employees are migrants who came here for the American Dream, not a nightmare.”
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Melendez praised administrators at the airport for “heeding the mandate of county commissioners last May,” noting that not only will airport janitors be paid an hourly rate above the minimum wage, but they will also receive benefits.
The county janitorial workers will not be offered any benefits, Melendez said, adding: “They won't even get time off for paid holidays. This is totally unjust.”
What is Palm Beach County's minimum wage?
As of Sept. 30, the minimum wage will be increased to $12 an hour.
“No one in Palm Beach County can survive on that,” Melendez said, noting that Broward County pays its janitorial workers $18.65 an hour. He predicts the vendor selected in Palm Beach County will have trouble finding employees willing to work at $12 an hour.
Melendez wants county commissioners to instruct the Facilities & Operations Division to pay the living wage to janitorial workers. Under Florida law, the bid must be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. The bid opening is set for Aug. 31.
Melendez’s company has been providing janitorial service to the county for nearly 20 years. It currently handles 111 county buildings that between them include more than 500,000 square feet of space.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Janitorial company owner: County should pay higher than minimum wage
