Able Services’ Kelly on Vital Role Cleaning Coalition of America Now Plays
By Dennis Kaiser
San Francisco-based Able Services joined with six other organizations in the contract cleaning sector to establish the Cleaning Coalition of America. The Coalition represents the needs of an often-overlooked sector playing a vital role keeping essential services operating during the coronavirus crisis.
The Coalition is seeking the tools to fight this pandemic and help America get back to work. Able’s Mark Kelly provides an update on the sector, how it’s changed, and what they need going forward to protect workers in our latest CRE Q&A.
Q: Why is the Cleaning Coalition of America so important right now?
A: America wants to get back to work. The Coalition’s objective is to make sure the state and federal governments know that janitors are part of the essential workforce and need the right tools for the job. The Coalition is working to ensure that janitors are in proper PPE, have the right chemicals, and have access to extended healthcare coverage.
Q: Who is part of the Cleaning Coalition of America?
A: Able Services joined with six other organizations in the contract-cleaning sector to establish the Cleaning Coalition of America. We represent the needs of an often-overlooked sector playing a vital role in keeping essential services operating during the coronavirus crisis. The contract-cleaning service industry employs more than one million workers in every state in the country, and it has been hit hard by the economic impact of this crisis.
Q: Why is the janitorial industry at risk?
A: There is currently a hierarchy in the supply chain that’s prioritizing getting resources that are going first to the government, second to healthcare, and then—unfortunately—to everyone else, lumped together into one category. The contract-cleaning sector is an overlooked sector playing a vital role as an essential part of getting the American economy moving again. If our industry cannot provide its services, then the risk of the virus’s transmission to even more people increases.
Q: How is the cleaning sector handling reopening and reentry?
A: As the country moves past this crisis to get back to business, the contract-cleaning sector is on the front lines. Cleaners are disinfecting workspaces, schools, airplanes, shopping centers, and other public spaces to prepare them for widespread use, reestablishing the public’s trust in the systems that underpin society. Health and safety must be the top priority for our employees, clients, and communities. We clean so you can get back to work.
Q: How has this impacted Able Services?
A: We’re currently in the business of making people comfortable returning to work, and from what we’ve experienced, there’s a shortage of supplies. America will only return to work when our employees are equipped with the right protective gear. Our services directly involve the cleaning and operating of America’s workspaces. Able Services and the Cleaning Coalition of America are seeking priority access to supplies so we can help the country get back to work.
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