Striking Janitors, Employers Reach Tentative Contract Accord in San Diego

Striking janitors and six downtown cleaning companies reached a tentative contract agreement, nearly a month after workers walked off the job, both sides said Sunday.

Members of the Service Employees International Union, Local 2028 were scheduled to vote on the three-year contract Tuesday.

“This goes to show that when workers stand together, there is no greater power,” said Ignacio Quinones, who was among a group of striking janitors who fasted for 10 days in protest of the stalled negotiations.

Union officials and representatives for the cleaning companies met Saturday for about seven hours with the help of Mayor Susan Golding. The tentative contract agreement was reached about 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Janitors now earn about $7 an hour. The new contract calls for a 50-cent-an-hour increase in the first year, a 40-cent-an-hour increase in the second year, and in the third year, the companies will contribute $171 a month toward employees’ health insurance.

About 275 janitors walked off the job on April 9 in protest of the stalled negotiations. Talks were scheduled for last Wednesday, but the companies abruptly called off the meeting.