Office Cleaners Rally For Good Jobs, Strong Communities
Thursday, September 22, 2011
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Area office cleaners have hit
the streets in recent days to demand their chance at sharing in the American
Dream. Negotiations began last week for a new union contract covering over 1,500
cleaners in Montgomery County, Maryland, 5,000 commercial cleaners in
Washington, D.C., nearly 4,000 cleaners in Northern Virginia, and over 700 in
Baltimore.
SEIU 32BJ, the union for the building workers, presented its
contract proposals to representatives of major commercial cleaning companies in
the region, including Red Coats, American Building Maintenance (ABM), and
Building Maintenance Services.
At a rally in Bethesda last week, the
mostly immigrant workers, who earn as little as $10.90 an hour, called upon
Montgomery County’s commercial real estate industry last week to share the
wealth created with the workers’ help which would in turn benefit local
communities.
“Helping Montgomery County protect good jobs is not just
a win for working families, but for employers and our community, said State
Senator Roger Manno. “Providing hard-working office cleaners with livable
wages boosts our economy and local governments with more tax revenue.”
Montgomery County’s commercial office market is growing “and can
afford to provide hard-working cleaners a raise,” said Jamie Contreras, 32BJ
Capital Area Director. “By ensuring these men and women receive
family-sustaining wages, we’re ensuring employers and tenants get a more
reliable work force.”
Cleaners rallied at the Ballston mall earlier
this week and will hit the streets in Silver Spring today.
photo courtesy Julie Karant, SEIU 32BJ