Published: December 29, 2007

Just days before their contracts would have expired, a Baltimoreand Washington, D.C.-area commercial cleaners union reached a tentative agreement for new fouryear contracts that increase pay and expand benefits to workers.

In Baltimore, a new contract covering 700 workers at more than 40 city buildings provides a 28 percent pay increase, up to two weeks of vacation, employer-paid family prescription drug coverage, and dental and vision benefits.

“We think this is a better deal than we had gotten in the past; it shows that the employers appreciate the work of the members, who are better compensated,” said Jaime Contreras, capital area director of the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ. “We wish we had gotten more, but this is a fair agreement.”

The Local 32BJ union includes cleaners at the Legg Mason Building, Bank of America Building, and the Candler Building. The union’s existing contracts include wages ranging from $7.50 to $10 per hour, according to Julie Karant, spokeswoman for the union’s bargaining committee. Contreras said contracts for Baltimore City and Montgomery County workers were set to expire Monday, with Washington contracts expiring April 30.

The contract for 4,500 commercial cleaners in Washington provides a 24 percent pay increase and lower co-pays under employer-paid health benefits, as well as life insurance and family prescription drug, dental and vision benefits.

In Montgomery County, more than 1,500 cleaners would receive a 27 percent pay increase, up to two weeks of vacation, and employerpaid family prescription drug coverage.

“I think the biggest issue was wages — these employees are not the highest-paid employees in the area, so the union was pushing hard to improve as much as they could,” said Peter Chatilovicz, chief negotiator for the Commercial Building Cleaning Contractors Association, which reached the agreement with the union. “We were pleased to give fair increases, but as always the sides differed on what’s doable.”