Courthouse sweep results in rash of no-show janitors

01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, July 19, 2008

By Katherine Gregg

Journal State House Bureau

PROVIDENCE — The hub of state government — the pink-hued Department of Administration building across the street from the State House — is one of at least eight state buildings that have been plagued with no-show janitors since Tuesday’s roundup by immigration officials of 31 suspected illegal immigrants as their workdays ended at a half-dozen state courthouses.

All work for the two companies whose workers were targeted in the courthouse sweep: TriState Enterprises, whose owner is the brother of a state legislator, and Falcon Maintenance. The companies have won at least 45 and possibly as many 48 state cleaning contracts during the Carcieri administration.

The governor’s office acknowledged yesterday that the attorney general, the University of Rhode Island and the Community College of Rhode Island are not the only ones scrambling to get their floors swept and mopped, their carpets vacuumed, their bathrooms cleaned and their wastebaskets emptied.

In a late-day statement, the governor’s office said: “In addition to URI, [the Department of Administration] is aware of 8 buildings out of approximately 48 with lower janitorial service or no janitorial service. … As for what is being done to ensure full janitorial service, the Department of Administration has taken immediate steps on multiple fronts to ensure that janitorial services are being maintained at all state buildings.â€