Catherwood LibraryILR School

The latest chapter in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Justice for Janitors campaign that has recently swept through St. Louis and Boston (see WIT's for Oct. 9 and 24, 2002), is building up towards April 30 in Washington, D.C. as a contract for 4,000 janitors nears expiration. The main issues in the ongoing negotiations between the Apartment and Office Building Association and the largely low-paid, part-time janitors, are availability of more full time job, raises on their low wages, and health benefits---the janitors' central demand. While the negotiations have been friendly, the two sides were still far apart last week with the cleaning contractors offering only a limited health benefits package that would only cover a limited number of very long-term part-time workers.