Elon Musk’s Firing Spree Continues: Twitter Janitors Terminated Via Text

Laureta Gjoni: I don’t know what happened. We are working that Monday, December 19, when we get a message like Elon Musk decided to get out of the building.

Merita Gashi: We were working, we were about 2 hours to finish the job, and they send us a message, they said no more work.

Pajtesa Gashi: These are the lowest paying workers in Twitter. And Elon Musk kicked them out without any explanation. 

NYC janitors become the latest victims of Twitter’s meltdown.

[News Clip]: Almost a year after the end of Donald Trump’s term in office we are witnessing another power-mad billionaire attempt to coerce and capture the American discourse…

[BBC Clip]: Elon Musk has completed his $44 billion dollar deal to buy Twitter after months of legal battles…

[NBC Clip]: Like thousands of other people at Twitter, the cleaning crew was also laid off…

Lucy Calderon: I’ve been working for Twitter approximately 5 to 6 years. 

Maria Gómez (Spanish): We practically have nothing, we depend on our work. But he’s a millionaire, he doesn’t care.

Twelve janitors lost their jobs when Elon Musk abruptly canceled Twitter’s contract with their employer, Flagship Services.

Laureta Gjoni: When I started working here, I was so happy finding a job.

Maria Gómez (Spanish): I feel hurt because they fired us without telling us anything, my mom depends on me.

If no action is taken, the cleaners will lose their Union healthcare benefits on January 31.

Merita Gashi: I’ve been in this country 15 years and I am a single mom with four children. 

[off camera]: Tweet about it please!

Lucy Calderon: This is where I can provide for my family.

Laureta Gjoni: This job was my life, and now, like I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s turned to a nightmare. Now thinking, we’re going to be with no insurance? no job? I don’t know how my life is going to be.

Merita Gashi: I was sick. I had surgery on my stomach. Now I get medication, and they’re very expensive. 

Pajtesa Gashi: I go to every doctor’s appointment with her and now they’re going to lose their insurance as well.

[off-camera] Spread the word, help them get back to work.

Maria Gómez (Spanish) I am diabetic, I have high blood pressure and I have a brain problem, I need a lot of medicine. And the insurance only lasts until the 30th. And if I don’t take the medicine….

Interviewer (off camera, Spanish): What are you going to do?

Maria Gómez (Spanish): What am I going to do? Exactly.

Employers are legally obligated to retain workers for at least 90 days during a transition between contractors. If Musk already hired new janitors, he is breaking the law.

Elba Mírabal (Spanish): Several companies that have come, they have all come and gone, but we always stay. When their contract expires they have left, but we always stay,

Lucy Calderon: No one in Twitter has spoken to us yet.

Laureta Gjoni: We don’t understand that that’s we want to know like why we don’t have a new company. Why would not start working for Twitter again? Twitter, it was my second house. I cleaned Twitter more than my house, believe it or not. And I don’t know what happened. I don’t know.

Workers are demanding answers and their jobs back.

Pajtesa Gashi: I hope we can do something for them and help them out. All of them. Not just my mom, because they all have families that need help.

Elba Mírabal (Spanish): We depend on ourselves to pay all our bills, and we are used to working. Our family depends on us, and we are fighting to get our job back

Merita Gashi: We want just to work. That’s it.