The State - News from May 26, 1985

Members of a 4,000-member janitors’ union voted unanimously to strike as many as 60 downtown San Francisco high-rise buildings unless a contract agreement is reached by June 1, a spokesman said. The vote was taken by the Service Employes International Union, AFL-CIO, spokesman Fred Kotler said. Talks on a new contract with the Building Owners and Managers Assn. broke down Tuesday. Union spokesman Fred Kotler said the union wants “modest” cost-of-living increases, an additional holiday and guarantee of no job losses. Management wants to eliminate two holidays now given to workers, and set up a two-tier wage system that would give new employees an hourly pay of $7, he said. Janitors earn $10.55 an hour under the soon-to-expire contract.