Window Cleaners Win New Contract
Just two days after 46 of 48 Window Cleaner members of Local 26 authorized their bargaining team to call a strike, they reached settlement on a new two-year contract with their employers – Columbia, Marsden, and MSI – and it was unanimously ratified on Monday, April 28.
The agreement, which will make single and family health insurance more affordable and could raise wages by as much as $1.90 per hour by next January, includes the following:
Wages: An immediate raise for Journeymen with another guaranteed raise on January 1, 2009, with the possibility of further raises at that time if our union organizes non-union companies. Journeyman wages could potentially rise by as much as $1.90 over the next 8 months! The contract also defines pay levels for snow removal work.
Health Insurance: the employee cost of single coverage will drop to $25 per month on July 1st from as much as $210 currently. Family coverage will drop to $400 per month from as much as $600 currently. With these changes, the employer contribution will increase from $260 per month to as much as $500 per month for health insurance.
Pension: the employer's hourly pension contribution will increase
Sick days increased to 1 after 3 years seniority and 2 after 5 years.
Increases in disability pay and Life Insurance
New contract language on safety, stronger seniority language, the right to take leaves of absence for union work, and a process to bring non-union subcontractors into our union over the life of the contract.
When Security Officers went on strike in February, Window Cleaners in our union honored their picket lines by refusing to work in those buildings, and many lost pay for their solidarity. So when the Window Cleaners voted to authorize their own strike, the companies knew we were serious!
Congratulations to all of the Local 26 Window Cleaners!