Every year, on the first of May, working people across the world celebrate International Workers’ Day, honoring past and future labor victories.
This year, workers have yet another victory to celebrate. More than 100 mostly immigrant building cleaners, who worked tirelessly through the COVID-19 pandemic at Con Edison facilities across New York City, have won their first-ever union contract today, joining the largest property service workers union in the country, 32BJ SEIU.
Although these building service workers don’t work directly for ConEd — instead being employed by Nelson Services Systems, United Building Maintenance, and Preferred Building Services — they are contracted by ConEd to clean its customer service centers, substations, and the company’s headquarters at 4 Irving Place.
“This is life-changing for me and my co-workers,” said Braulio Rodriguez, 56, a cleaner who’s been contracted with Nelson Services Systems for 8 years, originally from the Dominican Republic. “We have fought so hard for this. My co-workers and I are essential workers. Many of us worked through the pandemic, working hard to keep Con Edison’s offices clean.”
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A 5-year agreement was reached between the workers and management from the three cleaning companies, which provides wage increases as well as family health benefits, retirement security, and access to 32BJ SEIU’s legal fund and free industry training classes for career advancement.
Before this, many of the contracted cleaners working in Con Edison buildings were earning $16.50 an hour with few benefits. Under the new contract, workers will receive an immediate $6.50-an-hour wage increase as well as access to union benefits like healthcare and retirement plans.
The hard-fought victory comes after nearly ten years of workers organizing for a union, which included a strike of Nelson Services Systems workers in January and numerous other mobilizations.
Last November, Documented broke the story of a worker who, along with others, was retaliated against by Nelson Services Systems management for organizing. The month before, on Oct. 21, the union filed an unfair labor practice charge against Nelson Services Systems with the National Labor Relations Board for taking retaliatory action against workers in response to workers’ union activity.
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“Contracted cleaners in Con Edison buildings have fought tirelessly for more than a decade to demand a living wage and meaningful benefits,” said 32BJ SEIU Executive Vice President Denis Johnston in a statement. “And today, on International Workers’ Day, they have won. This hard-won victory is a real testament to the power of collective action, perseverance, and solidarity.”
For Braulio Rodriguez, the victory is an affirmation of a mantra he picked up while organizing with his fellow workers.
“We have been organizing, fighting, and making our voices heard,” he said. “It’s true what we say: when we fight, we win. Today, we’ve won.”
