More than 364 janitors, groundskeepers and maintenance workers at the University of Miami voted “yes” to authorize a strike at a rally held at noon on Monday, Aug. 18.
If no agreement is reached between ABM, UM’s cleaning contractor and the employees’ union, the strike will occur after the current contract expires on August. 31, 2025.
The workers employed by ABM are members of Service Employees International Union Local (SEIU) 32BJ. The union represents the staff who clean dorms, classrooms, UHealth medical facilities – including the Lennar Center and Sylvester Comprehensive Medical Center – and many other areas of campus.
“Nosotros somos los empleados que estamos limpiando la universidad … porque nosotros trabajamos para ustedes” [We are the employees who clean the university … we work for you], said Candida, who is a custodian at the Shalala Student Center. She added that janitors need better salaries because life in Miami is extremely expensive, and their wages have not kept up with inflation.
The workers rallied outside of Saint Bede Chapel on UM’s Coral Gables campus, demanding a new contract that reflects Miami’s soaring cost of living and recognizes their role in keeping the university’s facilities safe and clean for students, faculty and patients.
Many more workers gathered on Ponce De Leon Boulevard encouraging student support and handing out flyers reading: “Welcome back. Your janitors are ready to strike.”
“Many [ABM workers] are housing insecure or even skipping meals,” said 32BJ SEIU’s Regional Communications Manager Ana Tinsly. “It’s embarrassing considering that they’re cleaning and maintaining one of the most expensive and luxurious universities in the country. There is no excuse for the workers who keep UM safe and operational to be earning poverty wages.”
Service workers at UM first started a union in 2006 after an initiative that included a 17-day hunger strike drew national attention. This effort led to major improvements at the time, including employer-funded health care, paid sick leaves and stronger workplace protections.
Nearly two decades later, the union argues that those hard-won gains are no longer being honored to keep up with the expenses of living in Miami.
Workers at the rally echoed that frustration, saying that they feel disrespected by the company’s proposals and that history is repeating itself as the union members struggle to make ends meet once again.
“No alcanza salario y no nos quieren aumentar nada y no hay respeto” [Our salary is not enough and they don’t want to give us any raise and there is no respect], said Victoria Carvajal, a cleaner in the Ashe Building.
According to estimates from MIT Living Wage Calculator , a single adult in Miami-Dade County needs to earn about $24.77 an hour, or approximately $4,294 per month, to cover basic expenses, including housing, transportation, food and healthcare. Typical monthly costs in the county are about $1,718 for housing, $670 for transportation and $404 for food.
In contrast, ABM workers at UM start at $14.25 an hour, which is about $2,470 a month before taxes for those who work 40 hours a week. The figure falls nearly $1,800 short of the monthly living-wage estimate.
Many janitorial workers are left living paycheck to paycheck, part of a greater trend where close to 50% of households in Florida cannot afford basic necessities, according to United for Alice.
“We are currently negotiating in good faith with SEIU to reach an agreement that is fair to both our team members and [the University of Miami],” ABM said in a statement to The Hurricane. “We remain hopeful that we will soon find common ground and a shared path forward.”
According to the SEIU, the company has offered an unacceptable 50-cent raise per year and suggested eliminating the training fund, which provides workers with English classes and career-advancing certifications.
In a statement to The Hurricane, the University of Miami said that ABM staff are not employed by the institution, and that the dispute falls beyond the University’s authority.
“The University appreciates its long-term relationship with both ABM and SEIU and is hopeful the two sides reach an amicable agreement,” the University said in its statement.
Union representatives also criticized ABM for refusing proposals for free campus parking, which they say forces workers to spend hundreds of dollars each year just to get to their jobs.
The efforts are supported by local elected officials, including South Miami Mayor Javier Fernandez and Miami Commissioner Christine King. King, who attended the event, emphasized the importance of siding with those who receive low wages.
“We have to stand up for [our janitors] because they are the lowest paid but they do the most important work,” the Commissioner said.
The Union is also looking to students to advocate for their cause. At the rally, organizers handed out posters and encouraged students to attend in solidarity.
Helene O’Brien is the Vice President of 32BJ SEIU, which represents more than 185,000 workers. O’Brien says that these hardworking people not only provide for students, but love them as part of their community, and now, they need students to stand with them in return.
“Students went on a hunger strike with [workers] back in 2006. You may not realize, but they love the students and many of them are here for them,” she said. “The students are essential.”
Daniella Krasney and Emil Salgado Vazquez contributed to this reporting.
Updated August 18, 2025, at 11:31 p.m. ET.