Union representing 10,000 cleaning employees across Tri-State Area authorizes strike

NEWARK, N.J. -- Members of Service Employees International Union, which represents cleaning and custodial workers just authorized a strike.

Their contract expires on Dec. 31.

The strike authorization covers about 10,000 cleaning employees on Long Island and in New Jersey, the Hudson Valley and Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Workers at stadiums, hotels, businesses and more could go on strike if a new contract is not reached by the end of the year.

The union says they're fighting for higher pay, better healthcare coverage and more, and they say so far, the companies they're negotiating with haven't budged.

Around 2,000 members of 32BJ SEIU marched through the streets of Newark on Wednesday, calling for a fair contract.

"We need to fight for that raise. We need to fight for our health insurance. We need to be able to take care of our families," one speaker said at Wednesday's rally.

"Since inflation has been so high, we've actually fallen backwards in terms of where our members are," said Kevin Brown, executive vice president of 32BJ SEIU.

"In 2020, we was essential workers. Now it's time for you guys to give us what we deserve," union member Ederle Vaughan said.

"None of these buildings are going to get cleaned, sanitized and taken care of, so people will have to take out their own trash, do their own cleaning," 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich said.

This same union represents cleaning workers in New York City, but that is a separate negotiation.

The union says it's prepared to walk off the job on Jan. 2, 2024.