Office cleaner members of SEIU 32Bj ratified a four-year contract with Washington Service Contractors Association and will receive a pay increase as well as other benefits.
By the end of the contract, workers in Montgomery County will be paid $3.55 an hour more than they currently receive. They currently earn $17 an hour.
“We are very happy because we got considerable raises after bargaining for so long, a total of eight sessions,” said Wendy Diaz, a D.C. office cleaner and single mother of four. “The raises come right on time because everything is so expensive. It will help me pay for food and rent, and I can give my kids a better life.”
Under the new contract Juneteenth is now a paid holiday for the office cleaners. Other benefits include pregnancy-related protections on the job and the use of sick or vacation days when their office building is closed for reasons outside of their control.
Cleaners will no longer be required to have a personal cell phone for work.
Over 9,000 @32BJSEIU commercial cleaners in DC, MD & VA are celebrating the ratification of a new contract! The workers who keep our building clean & safe showed a clear willingness to stand up for wage increases & benefit protection to keep up with inflation. #buildingjustice pic.twitter.com/Q7ZcAEyZeQ
— 32BJ SEIU /// #BuildingJustice 🧹✊🏽 (@32BJSEIU) October 23, 2023
