Janitors’ Victory Points Way Toward Good Jobs With Health Care for Indianapolis’ Families

Historic city-wide contract for 1,500 will more than double the income of the average janitor, provide some relief for beleaguered Midwest

Indianapolis—As workers throughout the Midwest face ever-increasing economic pressures, Indianapolis janitors have won higher wages, more work hours, and health insurance in their first-ever city-wide union contract. The groundbreaking agreement will help lift more than a thousand janitors out of poverty, more than doubling the income of the average worker and increasing the income of the lowest-paid workers by an incredible 169% percent over the course of the contract—more than doubling the income of workers at the lowest end of the spectrum within the first 20 months alone.

“Lately there has been nothing but bad news for workers here in the Midwest,” says Perla Garay, janitor at ABM. “But this contract has built a sense of hope for everybody in this city who has to work, pay bills, buy groceries, and go to the doctor.”

The agreement comes on the heels of similar janitors’ victories reached in nearby Ohio cities Columbus and Cincinnati, cities that, like Indianapolis, have seen a sharp increase in service-sector employment. In all three cities janitors gained the support of hundreds of religious, elected, and community leaders and urged the region’s numerous Fortune 500 companies—who contract out for cleaning services and who combined take in more than $1 billion a day in revenues—to support good jobs with health care for the region’s working families, who are falling further and further behind as corporate CEOs receive record levels of compensation in the millions.

The agreement, which was ratified by Indianapolis janitors today, provides the city’s janitors with victories on four key fronts:

· Higher Wages. Janitors with current wages as low as the Federal minimum wage of $5.85 an hour will earn at least $9.00 an hour by 2012. All workers will receive incremental increases of at least $1.50 over the course of the contract.

· More Hours. The new contract will increase work hours for janitors currently provided with an average of only 4.5 hours of work a night to seven hours a shift in the first two years and eight months.

The additional hours and the wage increase mean that the average office janitor will see their income rise by 103 percent over the course of the four-year contract. Workers who currently make $5.85 an hour and are given only 4 hours a night will see their income rise by a remarkable 169 percent overall—and more than double by the start of 2010.

· Quality, Affordable Health Insurance. At a time when many employers are shifting health care costs on to workers, Indianapolis janitors won individual health insurance at a cost of only $20 per month. The health insurance will become available starting January 1, 2011.

· Paid Holidays and Vacation Time. The contract will allow workers—many for the first time in their lives—paid time off from work. Janitors will receive six paid holidays per year and be able to take vacation time beginning the first year of the contract.

The janitors’ agreement with the area’s five largest cleaning companies— American Building Maintenance (ABM), Group Services France (GSF), Mitch Murch Maintenance Methods (4M), Somers Building Maintenance, and Bulldog —was reached after janitors waged a three year campaign.

The increase in wages and health insurance will dramatically improve the lives of 1,500 Indianapolis janitors, many of whom had been earning as little as $26 a day without benefits. The increase in wages and hours will lift many families out of poverty, and provide janitors and their families with a steppingstone into the middle class while the health insurance will ensure workers have access to affordable health care.

“There are still companies out there that don’t understand that better pay and health care are good for the whole city,” said Raquel Baca, janitor at GSF. “Now these companies should see that it is possible to work together to create a better future. Our victory gives me hope that more janitors will be able to join us so we can strengthen the gains we’ve already made.”

 On August 15, 2007 a sea of purple filled W. Market St as over 300 janitors and faith leaders stopped traffic outside 10 W Market, the signatory buildings of HDG Mansur as well as the site of unjust firings and civil rights abuses against janitors.

Rev. Darren Cushman-Wood and Bishop T. Garrott Benjamin Jr. accompanied by dignitaries from dozens of other congregation; made their message was clear; exploitation of janitors in our cities wealthiest buildings will not be tolerated by people of faith.

“How can we call ourselves a first class city when we treat people like second class citizens. We will never be first class until the janitors are treated like the judges… This is a fight for the soul of our city. ” - Bishop T. Garrott Benjamin Jr .

Like many cities across the nation, Cincinnati, Columbus and Indianapolis face a serious dilemma—an explosion of low-wage service sector jobs that do little to provide opportunity, and instead are fueling an increase in the number of working poor families unable to afford health care, a decent place to live and to feed their families. A February 2007 McClatchy analysis of census data “found that the number of severely poor Americans grew by 26 percent from 2000 to 2005.” The report also notes that the “share of national income going to corporate profits has dwarfed the amount going to wages and salaries. That helps explain why the median household income of working-age families, adjusted for inflation, has fallen for five straight years.” (Source) Learn more»

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