STAMFORD, Conn.—The 32BJ SEIU union announced Dec. 23 that it had reached a tentative contract agreement for more than 3,000 janitors in the Lower Hudson Valley and southwestern Connecticut. The deal, with an industry group negotiating for cleaning contractors and building owners, would cover office buildings in Fairfield County in Connecticut and New York’s Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, Orange and Sullivan counties, including the headquarters of IBM in Armonk and PepsiCo in Purchase. The union did not release details of the agreement pending ratification by members, but it appears similar to those it approved earlier this month in New York City and New Jersey. “We are pleased and proud to have reached a strong tentative agreement today,” Lenore Friedlaender, head of 32BJ in the Hudson Valley, said in a statement. “This four-year deal gives 3,000 men and women a solid wage increase, maintains their high quality, employer-paid benefits, and makes important rule changes that will improve communication and respect on the job, including providing clear language on prohibiting sexual harassment.” Read more
