Justice for Janitors in DC! New 4 year contract!
speeches about why they need not just jobs, but good jobs in the current economy. As jobs become harder to find, quality jobs seem to be more scarce than ever. At the end of the rally, the crowd, which included DC Jobs with Justice staff and members, DC Student Labor Action Project and United States Student Association, responded by marching a mile and a half to join Occupy K Street in DC, as janitors embraced the 99% struggling to make ends meet.Less than 24 hours before their contract expired, area office cleaners won a tentative agreement with wage increases on Sunday night. “This is not just a win for working families and our communities, but it ensures tenants will receive professional service and gives our economy a much-needed boost," said Jaime Contreras, SEIU Local 32BJ Capital Area Director.
Here's what this new contract means to hard working local families in the area:
The contract covers 5,000 commercial cleaners working in hundreds of commercial properties in Washington, D.C. such as Washington Square, International Square, Georgetown’s Washington Harbor and One Franklin Square.
NORTHERN VIRGINIA
The contract also covers nearly 4,000 cleaners who maintain high profile properties in Northern Virginia, including the USA Today Building and office buildings in the Crystal City and Tyson’s Corner developments.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
The contract covers over 1,500 cleaners at over 150 buildings in Montgomery County, including the Chevy Chase Bank Building, the Discovery Building and Rock Spring Office Park.
BALTIMORE
The contract covers over 700 cleaners at over 40 Baltimore buildings, including the Candler Building, Legg Mason Building and the Bank of America Building.
“These are the kind of good jobs that our communities and our country need to move more families into the middle class,” said Valarie Long, 32BJ Vice President. “This is an important victory for cleaners in the Washington- Baltimore area who are united with 32BJ members up and down the East Coast in a campaign for good jobs.”
As Wall Street and CEOs continue to make record profits, Jobs with Justice fights to make Wall Street pay its fair share and hold corporations accountable. To continue to take action around full and fair employment, click here to take the pledge to stand in solidarity with workers, community, faith and students 5 times this year!
