Published: December 28, 2007

It appears that offices in the region may be clean in the new year after all.
The bargaining unit for about 4,500 commercial cleaners in Washington, D.C., 1,500 in Montgomery County and 700 in Baltimore tentatively agreed on new contracts for workers with the Commercial Building Cleaning Contractors Assocation, an organization representing the area’s major commercial cleaning companies.

The tentative agreement appears to avert a strike that was threatened by the Montgomery County and Baltimore cleaners if a new contract was not signed by Monday. A formal ratification vote by union members is expected in the next few days.

Local 32BJ Bargaining Committee said in a statement Thursday night that the four-year contracts provide significant wage increases, employer-paid family prescription drug coverage for all workers and significantly improved medical insurance benefits for full-time workers.

‘‘These contracts provide tens of millions of dollars in wage gains and health benefits for nearly 7,000 office cleaners that will help them better support their families and their communities,” said Jaime Contreras, Local 32BJ Capital Area director. ‘‘And for the first time, all cleaners will receive employer-paid prescription drug coverage, which prevents workers and their families from being at risk of costly illness.”