Cleaning Up for a Fair Contract

Contract talks between Metro DC commercial cleaners and employers began last Thursday, reports SEIU Local 32BJ. The negotiations affect nearly 7,000 commercial cleaners in Montgomery County, Baltimore and the District who are represented by SEIU Local 32BJ. Contracts for most of the workers are set to expire on December 31. Workers are demanding fair wage increases and more employer-paid benefits. These workers "deserve a piece of the pie," said Jamie Contreras, Local 32BJ Capital Area Director. Currently, cleaners in the Metro-DC area earn hourly wages ranging from $7.50 to $10.55. "Working families living in a city like Washington, with the nation's second-highest poverty rate and the third greatest income inequality, desperately need higher wages," said Mike Fishman, Local 32BJ President. "We want to offer our families a better future, but that's hard to do on this salary," said Oscar Zapata, a father of two and Washington area cleaner who earns $9.75 per hour working for Unicco. "I always have to choose between paying a bill or seeing a doctor and buying medicine."