Janitors and groundskeepers employed by ABM, the University of Miami’s cleaning contractor, have reached a tentative contract agreement days before the expiration of the original contract avoiding a strike.
According to the release from the union, the agreement states that members of the Service Employees International Union Local (SEIU) 32BJ — the union group University of Miami ABM workers are a part of — will receive higher wages, thousands of dollars in bonuses, access to the union’s legal fund and keep 100% employer-paid healthcare.
The new agreement also includes that workers will receive a 24% starting salary increase. Another new addition is a tiered bonus system starting at $500 for employees with at least one year of service, and up to $2,350 for those with 17 years of service.
“This win belongs to the janitors,” said Helene O’Brien, the vice president of 32BJ SEIU. “Their solidarity and resolve moved management and produced a tentative agreement that respects their hard work.”
The contract follows weeks of negotiations and a rally on Aug. 18 where union members unanimously voted to authorize a strike if an agreement was not reached by Aug. 31 which was the original contract’s expiration date.
According to 32BJ SEIU, the previously proposed contract offered a 50-cent raise per year and suggested cutting the training fund, a service that provides employees with English classes and free career advancement training. ABM also originally rejected requests for free parking, a change that would save employees hundreds of dollars a year.
With the new tentative agreement workers will receive 50% off parking fees for 100 employees based on seniority, starting the third year of the contract. The training fund is also protected under the new agreement and will allow union members to meet during work hours and plan curriculum for on-site classes.
So far the 32BJ bargaining committee has unanimously recommended ratifying the agreement. As the vote continues, employees will continue reporting to work and maintain services across campus.