Janitors who clean facilities for some of Silicon Valley's major technology companies ended a nine-day strike Wednesday after ratifying a contract that will bring them a 22 percent wage increase and improved health care benefits after four years. Some of the janitors, represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1877, returned to work Wednesday night, and others will report today. The local represents about 6,000 janitors in Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties (San Francisco union janitors bargain separately). About 1,000 of the janitors were involved in the walkout that was concentrated in Silicon Valley and began May 20.
See "Silicon Valley janitors end their strike", George Raine, San Francisco Chronicle, May 28, 2008