Janitors who are part of the Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ protested K&S Management Services, a Vienna-based non-union cleaning contractor, yesterday (June 6) in Tysons.
With 75,000 commercial office cleaners’ contracts set to expire this year, Jaime Contreras, the vice president for 32BJ SEIU, told Tysons Reporter that the union will help with bargaining.
“Today we are focused on K&S, which is the largest non-union cleaning company in Virginia — also a company who is known to violate workers’ rights to organize on the job,” Contreras said. “They were found guilty by the National Labor Board of firing a worker for simply trying to organize on the job.”
That former K&S worker, Geofredo Castro, told the crowd in Spanish and with an English translator that he decided to organize his workers with 32BJ because “there were lots of injustices and they didn’t pay us a fair salary and we didn’t get almost any benefits.”
“I went to the K&S office to give them the petition that I signed with my coworkers but afterward, they fired me unfairly,” the translator said. “With the help of the union, last month we won our case against K&S, and they were obligated to pay me $1,500 for all of the labor violations they committed against our workers.”
32BJ SEIU filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming that K&S was engaging in unfair labor practices, which included Castro’s firing. K&S settled in May.
In an unrelated incident, a K&S employee filed a sexual harassment claim in January against a supervisor at a worksite in D.C.
Julie Karant, a spokeswoman for the union, said that 32BJ SEIU hasn’t heard from K&S about the allegations and said that the company is under investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for sexual harassment.
K&S said in an emailed statement to Tysons Reporter:
K&S respects its employees and their right to engage in concerted activity. However, as far as K&S is aware, no petition has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board to initiate the process for voting in which the employees are given the opportunity to participate in a free and fair election to determine if they want to be represented by the union. K&S has voluntarily agreed to take steps to ensure that the employees’ rights are protected.
K&S takes charges of sexual harassment seriously and strives to provide an environment that is safe and provides equal opportunities for all employees. We try to prevent sexual harassment, and if claims of harassment are made, we will investigate and take appropriate action. Beyond that, we cannot comment on specific charges filed by individual employees.
Around 4:30 p.m., the protesters shouted in English and Spanish “K&S, shame on you” and “When we fight, we win” as they made their way from 1800 Tysons Blvd to 1751 Pinnacle Drive — one of the Tysons buildings that K&S cleans.
Del. Ken Plum (D-36th District), who stood out with his orange shirt in a crowd of purple, told the protesters that he is fighting for “fair work, fair pay” in “the center of wealth in the United States.”
Orthodontics company Candid has a “coming soon” sign in Tysons Corner Center.
Candid offers a direct-to-consumer approach by shipping clear, orthodontist-designed, aligners for about $2,000 to customers. Recently, the company raised $63 million, Forbes reported.
Candid will be a tenant of BrandBox, a collection of pop-up stores in the mall. Located on the lower level, Candid will neighbor The Lounge near H&M.
Currently, Candid is looking to hire a retail sales associate.
Happy Friday — today is National Doughnut Day.
The U.S. national day takes place annually on the first Friday in June. If you want to celebrate, here are some spots around Tysons that sell doughnuts:
Doughnuts aren’t the only items on the menu at the Bolivian restaurant (7177 Lee Highway) in Falls Church. Camba Cafe also serves breakfast sandwiches, cheese bread, empanadas and lunch sandwiches. The cafe is open today from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken
The Falls Church location (7511 Leesburg Pike) offers doughnuts, fried chicken, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, coleslaw, tater tots and cheddar biscuits.
The June special doughnut flavors are cake batter, raspberry lemonade, chocolate espresso Cookies n’ Cream and blackberry passion fruit Boston cream pie.
The spot is open today from 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Dunkin’ Donuts will offer a free doughnut with any drink purchase today while supplies last at participating stores.
The chain’s local locations:
- Tysons: 8119 Watson Street; open 24 hours
- Merrifield: 2750 Gallows Road, Unit E; 5 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Vienna: 314 W. Maple Avenue; 5 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Falls Church: 101 E. Annandale Road; 5 am.-10 p.m.
Photo via Camba Cafe
Belong! — a new nonprofit dedicated to helping Vienna’s underserved populations — officially launched yesterday (Wednesday).
The ribbon-cutting for the group was held in the Vienna Presbyterian Church (124 Park Street NE), which was part of the founding of the organization but a press release noted that Belong! will operate as a separate entity.
The organization is dedicated to promoting “spiritual, physical, and economic well-being, efforts will initially be focused on the Vienna Park/Cunningham Park neighborhoods,” according to the press release for the opening.
The group was founded out of discussions among Vienna residents in late 2017. The press release noted that one of the first aims of the project will be securing new partnerships with Cunningham Park Elementary School and other local churches and nonprofits.
“We are excited to welcome Belong! to Vienna and applaud its vision of empowering our residents” Mayor Laurie DiRocco said in the press release. “Their plans for local outreach mirror our town’s core values, and we’re grateful for their partnership.”
Photo courtesy Jeff Cruz/Belong!
Janitors who are part of the Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ plan to protest K&S Management Services, a Vienna-based non-union cleaning contractor, today (June 6) in Tysons.
32BJSEIU filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming that K&S was engaging in unfair labor practices.
Del. Ken Plum (D-36th District) and Dalia Palchik, a candidate for the Providence District seat on Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, plan to join the event, according to a 32BJ SEIU press release.
The rally starts at 4 p.m. at 1800 Tysons Blvd. The group will then march to 1751 Pinnacle Drive — one of the Tysons buildings that K&S cleans, the press release said.
“Janitors, who are marching in support of non-union K&S cleaners, will soon start negotiations for a new four-year union contract that expires at midnight on Oct. 15 covering 10,500 workers in the D.C. area, including over 4,000 in Northern Virginia,” according to the press release.
Map via Google Maps
It’s the season for bear sightings in Virginia and the Vienna Police Department wants people in the Tysons area to stay safe.
“Virginia is black bear country — including the Vienna area,” the police department said in a press release today (June 6). “However, while bears are not a common encounter in our community, multiple sightings are reported each spring and summer as bears wander into residential areas searching for food.”
The police department shared a factsheet by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, which says that Fairfax County has had black bear occupation occasionally, along with confirmed sightings.
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has different tips for how to keep bears away from residential areas, what to do if you encounter a bear at home and how to keep them away while camping and hiking. The factsheet also addresses some common bear myths.
“Unprovoked bear attacks are very rare and have never been documented in Virginia,” according to the factsheet.
For anyone who comes into close contact with a bear, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries recommends that they should back away slowly.
“Unless the animal is sick or injured or poses a threat to public safety, the Vienna Police Department does not take action to remove bears from a neighborhood,” according to the police department.
Instead, people should report bear to through the Virginia Wildlife Conflict Helpline at (855) 571-9003, TTY 711.
Media Release – Be Bear Aware!!! Black bears and their cubs emerge from hibernation from March through May in Virginia and typically avoid humans, of whom they have a natural fear. In most cases would rather flee than encounter people. @TownofViennaVA @bearsmart @fairfaxcounty pic.twitter.com/JuniYMgpR7
— Town of Vienna Police (@VPDVA) June 6, 2019
Photo by Sergey Pesterev on Unsplash
Almost three years after The Boro broke ground, the Rise and Bolden buildings in Meridian Group’s 1.7 million-square-foot development are now leasing.
The two luxury apartment buildings are set to open later this summer, according to a press release from Meridian Group.
The 32-stories-tall Rise has more than 400 apartments, while Bolden, which will sit atop the Whole Foods Market, offers 133 “boutique residences,” according to the press release.
Both Rise and Bolden include a fitness center, yoga studio, an entertainment kitchen and club and a pool with a lounging area. They share an elevated outdoor sky park with a theater and bar area, fire pits and lounges, according to the press release.
The apartments appear to start at $2,400 for ones with one bedroom and one bathroom.
Meridian teamed up with McLean-based management company KETTLER ahead of the pre-leasing announcement.
Images courtesy Meridian Group
Updated at 5:15 p.m. on 6/13/19 — Corrects the description of the Jefferson Village Association.
As the Fairfax County Democratic Primary winds toward the election next Tuesday (June 11), the fundraising race closes in for some but leaves others in the dust.
Edythe Kelleher, a former member of the Vienna Town Council, led fundraising in April and May with $41,849. Edythe and her husband Gary Kelleher are the leading contributors to the campaign, contributing $10,000 and $20,000, respectively.
Other backers that might be familiar to attentive readers include JDA Custom Homes, a homebuilder based in Vienna, and Douglas D’Alexander, the developer behind the planned redevelopment of the former Marco Polo lot destroyed by arson.
Phillip Niedzielski-Eichner, a planning commissioner representing the Providence District, had previously led the candidates in fundraising. In April and May, Niedzielski-Eichner raised $35,168. Records show Jonathan Cherner, a principal at the Cherner Development Group, and Mark Lowham, CEO of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, each donated $5,000 to Niedzielski-Eichner.
Dalia Palchik, a School Board member representing the Providence District, wasn’t far behind Niedzielski-Eichner with $31,547 raised. Palchik’s leading backer was the Jefferson Village Association LP — real estate developers in Bethesda, Md. — which donated $15,000.
The first and last candidates to announce in the race both trailed behind the others. Linh Hoang didn’t enter the race until March, and in April and May, Hoang raised $18,514. Hoang’s top contributor was a person named Emily Woo, who donated $5,000.
Erika Yalowitz was the first candidate to announce in the race, but was the last in fundraising for April and May. Yalowitz’ top backer was Timothy Chapman, a candidate in the contentious Board of Supervisors chair race, who donated $5,000.
Voting takes place on June 11 from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. A tool available online can help voters find the closest polling station.
Photo via Dalia Palchik/Twitter
The McLean Citizens Association (MCA) unanimously voted to oppose a controversial series of group homes proposed in McLean.
The vote is the latest push in a fight led by neighbors against plans to open a series of new group homes in a residential neighborhood by McLean High School.
MCA voted last night (June 5) to oppose a special exception that would allow the Newport Academy, a for-profit therapy and rehabilitation program for teens, to open a facility at Davidson Road.
The group also voted to support Fairfax County Zoning Administrator Leslie Johnson’s determination that the facility would not be permitted as a by-right use and would require approval from the Board of Supervisors.
MCA members shared a common sentiment at last night’s meeting: this is not the last time they expect to hear about Newport Academy.
“The MCA will revisit this case if new facts become available or circumstances of the proposed use change, including but not limited to additional facts becoming available about the proposed use at Kurtz Road,” the draft resolution said.
Rob Jackson, the chair of MCA’s Planning and Zoning Committee, said that the vote on the resolution is possibly the beginning, rather than the end, of MCA’s involvement in the Newport controversy.
“We’re just taking one bite of the apple,” Jackson said. “I think we need to wait to see where the next shoe drops.”
(Updated at 3:20 p.m. on 6/7/19) Wetzel’s Pretzels is no longer serving up pretzels in the lower level of Tysons Corner Center.
The pretzel chain’s website no longer lists the Tysons location, and the mall directory is now missing Wetzel’s Pretzels.
Tysons Reporter has not heard back from mall operator Macerich on when the pretzel place closed.
The food court area has two other vacancies.
The local Korean eatery Mixing Bowl and the local branch of the organic salad chain Sweet Leaf Cafe both had closed up in early May. Falafel Inc., a D.C. based restaurant, will fill Mixing Bowl’s former spot.
No word yet on what will replace Wetzel’s Pretzels.
