California Custodians Gain Pay Raise and Pension in New Contract

More than 20,000 custodians across California ratified a new contract this month that will include a US$20 an hour minimum wage for many of the workers and a union pension plan with employer contributions, The Modesto Bee reports.

The statewide contract covers Service Employees International Union (SEIU) workers who clean large professional buildings, including spaces for companies such as Apple and Visa. The workers, who had been without a contract since the end of August, had been holding rallies and voted to authorize a potential strike if an agreement was not met.

“We won what all essential workers deserve, fair wages that acknowledge our sacrifices, benefits that allow us to care for our families, and the chance to retire when we get too old to work. We are so pleased that the membership ratified this contract, and we are ready to fight for more,” said Anabella Aguirre, a Los Angeles janitor and a member of SEIU United Service Workers West’s bargaining committee.

Under the new contract, custodians with more than three years of experience who are cleaning large buildings in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area will see their hourly salaries raised almost $3 by 2023. Bay area workers will receive up to $20 an hour and 80% of Los Angeles janitors will receive $19.70 or $20.90 an hour. Custodians in the Sacramento area will receive $16.80 an hour, up from $14.40. Cleaning workers in Orange County and San Diego will also see increases to their hourly pay rate.

Many California custodians will now have a pension benefit for the first time, with employers contributing from $0.15 to $0.50 an hour to the union’s plan. Although the contribution is small, it’s a start toward building a path to a secure retirement, said the union’s president, David Huerta.

The contract also requires employers servicing buildings larger than 300,000 square feet in the Sacramento area to hire workers full-time by 2024. The contract includes three days of bereavement leave upon the death of an immediate family member for Northern California janitors, as well as money toward a training program to combat sexual harassment and assault in the industry.

SEIU officials estimate the contract will generate between $10,174 to $17,900 in additional wages and benefits for its members. “This contract reflects the work they do as essential workers,” said Huerta.