Allegations of wage theft loom over Palo Alto as several janitors who clean the city’s facilities have filed at least $23,000 in wage claims, not including penalties.

The janitors filed claims with the Labor Commission against the city’s janitorial services vendor, SWA Services Group, a non-union company. These troubling allegations highlight the failure of one of the most expensive and affluent cities in California, full of wealthy venture capitalists and tech companies, to protect its essential, often forgotten janitorial workers in the midst of an ongoing global pandemic.

According to Maintenance Cooperation and Trust Fund (MCTF), a janitorial industry watchdog organization, seven of the city’s subcontracted janitors have filed claims alleging unpaid wages going as far back as 2018. The janitors allege SWA Services Group has failed to abide by wage requirements in its contract with Palo Alto—and that the janitors are getting paid below the wage standard Palo Alto requires in the contract.

MCTF monitors the janitorial industry for violations of the state’s Labor Code and has an extensive history of uncovering irresponsible behavior among janitorial contractors and their clients. This includes a major case involving the Cheesecake Factory, which was held liable for wage theft claims totaling $4.57 million.

In April 2021, MCTF released a detailed report highlighting challenges faced by janitors in California, often working in the shadows behind the scenes or late at night...

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