ALL PRO CLEANING SYSTEMS: Another Janitorial Franchise Lawsuit

All Pro Cleaning Systems is being sued for the all-too familiar allegations that the cleaning franchisor sells janitorial franchises to immigrants, then fails to provide the promised jobs.  Also alleged is that All Pro Cleaning Systems misclassifies its employees as independent contractors and makes unlawful deductions from their pay.

(Also Read:  Commercial Cleaning Franchise Complaints, JANITORIAL FRANCHISE ISSUES, JAN-PRO Franchise Complaints)

According to a story in the News Telegram, the civil lawsuit has been filed by Boston attorney Shannon E. Liss-Riordan on behalf of Plaintiff Leila Munik of Lowell.  However, Ms. Liss-Riordan said there are about 10 All Pro franchise owners who want join the case. If a judge certifies the case as a class action, according to Liss-Riordan, it would cover all of All Pro’s franchise owners

The lawsuit alleges that All Pro Cleaning Systems sells franchises, mostly to immigrants, to whom it guarantees a certain level of cleaning accounts  per month. The suit alleges that All Pro is guilty of what so many other commercial cleaning franchises have been sued for:  Not providing the promised level of work and taking away accounts from one franchisee to sell to another.

Last March, a judge ruled in U.S. District Court in a case against Coverall North America established that employees who purchased franchises from that company were in fact employees of the company rather than independent contractors.  The lawsuit alleges that All Pro Cleaning Systems also misclassified their franchisees as independent contractors (rather than employees), which made charging workers for jobs and making other deductions from pay unlawful.

Ronald Showalter, president and chief executive officer for All Pro, said franchises are sold in accordance with federal guidelines and denied that the company has treated franchise owners unfairly.

Showalter denies the franchise “churning” allegations, stating that his company has never taken an account away from one franchise to sell to another.  He also said allegations in the complaint that franchise owners aren’t allowed to seek their own accounts are false.

Despite the fact that all of the All Pro Cleaning Systems franchise owners seem ready to join the suit, CEO Showalter claims “We satisfied our franchise owners, that’s we how got here.”

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