Hundreds of janitors in the Boston area voted Saturday to authorize their union’s bargaining committee to call a strike if they don't reach an agreement with their contractor by September 30.
The janitors and security officers who clean and maintain nearly 2,000 buildings across the Boston area are currently negotiating their contracts. Over 13,000 janitors are covered under the contract.
“We don’t take the possibility of a strike lightly but the workers who make Boston and New England strong are ready to do what it takes to protect their families,” said Roxana Rivera, Vice President of 32BJ SEIU.
The union is fighting for fair wage increases, unreasonable workloads and opportunities for full-time employment.
Some of the properties the janitors maintain include the State House, the John Hancock, Prudential Tower, Vertex and Biogen buildings, as well as the MBTA and many higher education institutions.
“We are proud of the work we do to keep Boston running,” said Santiago Brito, who cleans in the Financial District. “It shouldn’t be a luxury when you work full-time to be able to pay rent and bills, or help send your kids to college.”
Negotiations for the new, multi-year contract began last August.
