MINNEAPOLIS — Thousands of Twin Cities janitors have reached an agreement to avoid a strike, according to SEIU Local 26.
The union, which represents 4,000 commercial janitors, says after a 22-hour bargaining session, they've reached a four-year agreement. The news follows four months of negotiations and preempts a strike that was set to begin Monday.
The terms of the agreement include:
- Wage increases of $2.20 over the course of the contract for full-time workers, with some part-time workers going from $11.12 to $16 over that time period
- Moving al full-time workers to six paid sick days by the second year
- Funding toward a Labor-Management Cooperation Fund that will work toward a green education initiative
- Reduced cost of health insurance
- Sexual harassment policies incorporated into the contract
According to SEIU Local 26, 2,000 security officers with the union also reached an agreement on a contract in February. The union says its retail janitors and airport passenger service workers are still working to reach deals.
This contract comes after many janitors in the Twin Cities went on a 24-hour strike that culminated in a rally in Minneapolis.
