Strike averted after Denver janitors agree to 4-year contract

Cleaners in Denver have reached a tentative agreement with city cleaning companies, averting a strike.

On Tuesday, janitorial workers from Service Employees International Union Local 105 voted to authorize a strike if no deal was reached by Sunday. The union said janitorial workers are underpaid and overworked and that they face retaliation if workers fail to complete unrealistic workloads.

The union reached a tentative agreement with municipal cleaning companies on Saturday, making Denver one of the highest-paying cities for cleaners in the country, they say.

The agreement includes wage increases of 16 to 18 percent, guaranteed paid sick leave and increased investment in a fund for worker training.

“This contract puts us on the path to living wages and raises the bar for our industry across the country,” cleaner Verónica Escobedo said in a statement. “Through the strength of our union, we stayed united and made our jobs better. This is a huge victory. We are grateful we did not have to go on strike and are ready to continue working every day to keep our communities clean and safe.”

The new contract covers 2,400 janitors working in more than 1,500 buildings in the metro area. Janitors will vote next week to ratify the contract.