Janitors Return to Contract Talks to Improve Jobs and Strengthen Our Economy

Houston janitors and six of the city’s major cleaning contractors are returning to negotiations to reach new union agreement to improve jobs for more than 3,200 Houston families and to strengthen our city’s economy.
 
With these negotiations, which begin March 17, Houston business leaders have an opportunity to contribute to our city’s prosperity and growth by continuing to transform janitorial jobs into the middle-class jobs that Houston’s economy needs. 

In 2006, janitors won better jobs for Houston after they were forced to go on strike for a month. At the time, most janitors were paid just $20 a day with no benefits. They won a collective bargaining agreement that gave them access to affordable healthcare and more than doubled their income to $7.75 an hour with additional work hours. 

Janitors made significant progress with their first union contract, but like too many of Houston’s low-wage workers janitors are still struggling to support their families.  Most janitors bring home less than $1,000 per month and many must work one and sometimes two additional jobs to pay for basic necessities for their families. 

Though Houston has one of the strongest real estate markets and economies in the country, janitors are paid significantly less than janitors who work for the same cleaning contractors and clean buildings owned by the same corporations in most major metropolitan areas.  For example, in Chicago where the average rental rates are about the same as in Houston at about $23 per square foot, janitors are paid $14 an hour—nearly twice as much as janitors in Houston—and have full-family health insurance, a pension and other benefits.

Janitors believe that cooperation is possible so they can reach a new agreement with the cleaning contractors—including ABM, Pritchard, ISS/Sanitors, GCA, UBM and Aztec—that will strengthen Houston’s economy by increasing wages enough to allow janitors to better provide for their families.

“In 2006 we won benefits, raises and respect” said Conchita Blanco, a janitor that works for ABM at American Tower.  “This year, we want to continue making improvements so we can lift up our families and all working families in Houston.  We hope to come to an agreement with the companies so we don’t have to go to the lengths we did in 2006.”

The current agreement between janitors and their employers expires March 30th.