Published: December 26, 2007

Izda.: Cleaning workers demand better wages and employment benefits as health insurance and paid leave.  Right. Jaime Contreras representing the SEIU union noted that union workers can enjoy greater benefits and that not reaching an agreement will be on strike.

With the days are employers who provide cleaning services in most commercial buildings in Washington, DC, Montgomery County and Baltimore in Maryland that the end of the year the contract expires they have signed with their employees and will be renewed , but this time workers are demanding better wages and working conditions. It released a group of workers who arrived on Monday, December 17 at the gates of the main offices of Red Coats Inc.. One of the employers to require that the new contract will establish a wage increase, health insurance and paid leave for those working full-time and half-time.
"We are here today to let you know that the employers are going to fight for our rights.

We seek an increase greater than 5 per cent per annum as it is stipulated in the current contract and we want you to consider part-time workers, who are a majority, to enjoy more benefits, "said Washington Hispanic, Jaime Contreras, director of Local 32 BJ of SEIU, the union's largest service employees in the United States.

They reject first contract
At the close of this edition reported that the first failed attempt to get to sign a fair contract. Jaime Contreras reported that the Contractors Association rejected the proposal which included the wage increase and health insurance and paid leave for those who work half-time. According Contreras noted that employers want employees to continue with half-time and that under this condition does not correspond the benefits claimed.

"90 percent of these workers are of Hispanic origin and are currently about salaries of poverty. We want the new contract albegue a substantial wage increase and more benefits, "said Contreras.

The three largest employers in the area of cleaning commercial buildings in the region are Red Coats Inc.., American Building Maintenance (ABM) and Unicco. A month ago these employers alongside 30 other contractors have recently become the Employers' Association of Clean.

"We will continue with the negotiations, but did not reach a contract with our requirements more than 2,000 workers cleaning buildings in Montgomery County and Baltimore will begin a strike," reaffirmed Contreras.

The union also said that an agreement beneficial to both sides both workers and employers. "When a worker is well paid work better and therefore offer a better service on behalf of the company that hired him and thus win-win," added Contreras.

Workers in Washington, DC, Montgomery County and Baltimore are unionized as part of this battle, the SEIU has among its plans to ensure that workers are cleaning sindicalicen Virginia.

"We campaigned on cleaning workers in Virginia to achieve unionize. Currently ellosreciben wages of 6.5 to 7 dollars, compared with the nearly $ 10 receive workers who are part of the union. We have very high expectations with employers, but there is still a long way to go, "Contreras ended.