Halifax union launches legal action over janitorial contract at Alderney Gate

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court is seen in Halifax in this file photo.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2 has filed a motion at the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, seeking a review of a janitorial contract at Alderney Gate in Dartmouth that was recently awarded to Imperial Cleaners.

The motion, which was filed last Friday, states the Halifax Regional Municipality awarded the contract to Imperial Cleaners on Feb. 20. The union alleges Imperial’s bid failed to meet requirements in the procurement policy, specifically providing a living wage and achieving a “social value or social impacts.”

The motion further alleges the municipality failed to properly weigh these requirements when evaluating the bids.

None of the claims in the motion have been proven in court.

SEIU claims GDI Services had a janitorial services contract with Alderney Gate for several years, but lost its bid to Imperial Cleaners after the municipality issued a package seeking a contractor in late November.

In January, janitors working for GDI across the municipality ratified a new collective agreement that earned them a pension plan starting in 2027.

In a previous interview with CTV News Atlantic, Tina Oh, an organizing coordinator with SEIU Local 2, expressed concern a new contractor would not have to honour the gains in the new collective agreement due to the lack of successor rights in the province.

According to SEIU Local 2, there are 12 janitors who worked under the GDI contract at Alderney Gate, many of whom did so for more than 20 years. Oh said all of them lost their jobs with the contractor change.

In its motion, SEIU Local 2 is seeking for the court to quash the decision to award the contract to Imperial Cleaners. It also wants the municipality to re-tender the contract in accordance with directions from the court.

CTV News Atlantic reached out to the municipality about the contractor situation.

“On February 28, 2025, the Halifax Regional Municipality received notice that a judicial review has been filed by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2 on the matter of janitorial services for Alderney Gate,” an email from the municipality reads. “As this matter is now before the courts, no additional information or comment is available at this time.”

CTV News Atlantic also reached out to Imperial Cleaners, but did not receive a response.

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