1700 Janitors win Health Care for Children!

SEIU Local 49 Janitors won an historic agreement in their campaign for Healthy Families, Safe Jobs, and a Secure Future.

SEIU Local 49 Janitors won an historic agreement in their campaign for Healthy Families, Safe Jobs, and a Secure Future.

The agreement includes affordable health care coverage for janitors’ children, and the highest across-the-board wage increases janitors have seen in the last ten years. For the first time, janitors won a vision benefit and an additional personal holiday that they can use in case of illness. Janitors who work for Portland Habilitation Center also won an additional holiday, Martin Luther King Day.

Other important improvements were parity wage increases for janitors in Vancouver (see below for details), and pension plan improvements.

Portland Janitors will see wage increases of over 17% though the life of the contract. Vancouver janitors above entry-level will get an increase of $1.00 per hour starting 7/1/08. On 7/1/09, Vancouver workers’ pay will be increased to match the Portland rates for all steps except entry-level, which will be paid at $0.40 above Washington State minimum wage.