Cleaners in Philadelphia- members of 32BJ SEIU - showed what it means to stand up, speak up and win. They negotiated their first post-pandemic contract with the support of the local and international community. In late August, UNI Global Union and local elected leaders joined cleaners and took over the streets of Philadelphia to kick off this contract fight.
This kick off was followed by weeks of cleaners taking action - and preparing to strike, if necessary. Due to their bold actions, these 2,000 cleaners, who clean and maintain almost every major building in Philadelphia, have a union contract that has:
• Historic wage increases of 18.6% over the course of the 4-year contract
• Thousands in bonuses
• Maintains employer-paid family health coverage and expands dental benefit
• Improved retirement benefits
• Juneteenth as an additional paid holiday
• Ensures all members have sick and disability coverage
• No cuts to hours
• Stronger contractual protections for pregnant workers
“I grew up in a big family and wasn’t afforded the opportunity to go to college. But I’ve had union jobs my whole life, and because of that, I was able to reach the middle-class,” said Angel Castro, Green Machine Sidewalk Sweeper and 32BJ Bargaining Committee Member. “If it weren’t for my union job, I wouldn’t have been able to buy my own house, provide for my family, or pay for my kids’ education. I’m always going to be grateful and that shows in the pride I take in my work. We keep the streets and sidewalks clean, and people from out of town even tell us they wish their city looked as nice. I feel like with this contract, we are getting the recognition we deserve.”
These gains are just some of the many that thousands of cleaners are fighting for across the country because we are working to build cities that are open to all of us. Cities that will have good union jobs that will allow essential workers to afford the essentials, including food, housing, healthcare, and a dignified retirement, no matter what ZIP code they live in.
