Twin Cities janitors win big gains in tentative contract with companies

A Twin Cities janitors union ended a three-day strike and months of bargaining early Saturday, winning big gains for workers in a new tentative contract with companies, according to union leaders. 

SEIU Local 26 represents 4,000 commercial janitors who clean hundreds of office buildings across the Twin Cities. They work for over 10 janitorial subcontractors, including ABM, Marsden and Harvard. 

Union leaders ended a nearly 20-hour bargaining session at 4 a.m. on Saturday, negotiating employer-paid retirement and life insurance for workers. 

Members will also see wages jump from $18.62 to $20 an hour, in addition to more sick days, more full-time work, and lower health care costs. 

“Those are the biggest raises we've ever gotten in our janitorial contracts,” said Greg Nammacher, president of SEIU Local 26. 

Members will vote to ratify the new contract next Saturday. 

SEIU Local 26 was among several Minnesota labor unions aiming for contract settlements this week. It was part of an effort to leverage their bargaining power around shared values.

Nammacher credits their success to the collective. 

“All of us have won settlements much stronger than the ones that we would have won by ourselves,” he said.

Marsden officials did not immediately comment on the new contract.

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