4,000 janitors to strike, affecting nearly all Twin Cities office buildings [View all]

Commercial janitors working in nearly every office building in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul plan to strike for one day next week as they push for higher wages, more sick days and a program to reduce their environmental impact.

Representatives of Service Employees International Union Local 26, which represents 4,000 commercial janitors, say negotiations have stalled with more than a dozen maintenance contractors.

“The only reason that we are striking is because the conversations have come to an end and are stalled,” said Iris Altamirano, president of SEIU Local 26. She said they hope the strike will put pressure on the companies to return to the bargaining table. They’ll announce which day they’ll strike next week.

Workers with the union, which represents mostly women and people of color, say their wages have not kept up with inflation.

Read more: https://minnesotareformer.com/briefs/4000-janitors-plan-to-strike-next-week/