Twin Cities janitors reach tentative deal with employers after strike
MINNEAPOLIS — A tentative agreement agreement has been reached between SEIU janitors in the Twin Cities and their employers.
The deal comes after a three-day strike this past week. More than 4,000 commercial janitors struck at over 100 buildings, marched and held a rally. They returned to work Thursday morning before the union and its employers returned to the bargaining table on Friday. The deal was struck early Saturday morning.
The tentative agreement includes instant pay increases to $20 an hour, employer-funded retirement and life insurance, increased sick days and holiday, expanded union protections and more, according to SEIU Local 26.
"We fought extremely hard and we got the best deal we've ever got because we were willing to go out on strike," janitor Mike Bartos said. "We won a retirement plan and higher raises, and we helped expand union rights. We are proud of how hard we fought and are going to be ready to come back in four years to keep winning more of what we deserve."
Union members still need to vote on the tentative deal.
Fifteen people were arrested for civil disobedience at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on the final day of the strike, including SEIU Executive Vice President Neal Bisno.