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Janitors in Detroit and Cleveland Overwhelmingly Ratify Contracts that Raise Wage and Pension Contributions, Protect Health Care Benefits

Cleveland

On May 6th downtown Cleveland janitors ratified a three-year contract.  Around 1000 janitors will see their wages raised by a dollar over the lifetime of the contract.  Contributions to the janitor’s pension program will be increased by 30% (from $0.45 to $0.60 cents per hour).  There will also be increased contributions by employers to the janitors’ health care program to cover rising health care costs.  Janitors will also be eligible for single health care coverage after 90 days in a full time position as opposed to 6 months under the old agreement.

“This agreement raises the standards for janitors in Cleveland and helps raise the standards for all service workers,” said Wyatt Johnson, an eight year janitor at the Science Center.  “All the janitors came together to work for this contract and we won real improvements in our wages, pension and health care.”

Detroit

Detroit’s janitors ratified their four-year contract on August 12th.  Janitors made gains despite Michigan’s tough economy that is seeing major lay-off’s in the auto and airline industries.  The janitors will receive a $1.10 in wage increases over the lifetime of the contract.  There will also be an increase in pension contributions and janitors will continue to have access to full health care coverage. 

“We are thrilled to have reached this agreement given the wage and benefit cuts that many Michigan workers are having to accept,” said Peter J. Hanrahan, President of SEIU Local 3.  Mary Towns, a janitor and member of SEIU for 34 years, sat on the bargaining committee.  “We knew bargaining was going to be difficult, but we stuck together and are proud of what we accomplished.”

During the contract campaign, janitors celebrated Justice for Janitors Day (June 15th) by protesting at the newly built Price Waterhouse Coopers building in downtown Detroit.  New Image cleans that building with non-union employees. 

Janitors took action at the building throughout the day and won a great victory when New Image agreed to make the building union!