Over the past week SEIU Local 105 janitors—a group of approximately 2,400 janitors (mostly Latina women) in the Denver area that are covered by a master contract—have been on a path to striking. Their contract would have expired yesterday, but this morning Local 105 announced victory: the local has won a "historic contract." According to the Denver Post:
The new contract includes historic wage increases, protections against excessive workloads and guaranteed paid sick leave, according to Service Employees International Union Local 105. Janitors in Denver will be some of the highest paid in the country, once the new contract is ratified.
Reportedly the wage increases are 16-18% over current wages, which is significant increase (especially in janitorial work). The previous pay-scale appears to range from $17.22 to $19.00 depending on area and seniority, so in my estimation workers under the contract would see pay increases of $2.75 to $3.00/hr. Quite a historic contract, indeed. Congratulations!
