Downtown Detroit workers say they're prepared to strike

Ann Zaniewski | Detroit Free Press

Janitors who clean some of Detroit's most prominent buildings announced Monday night that they are prepared to strike if they don't get a new contract by next week.

The more than 1,700 members of Service Employees International Union Local 1 are seeking a $15-an-hour wage and a three-year contract.

Speaking at a rally outside One Campus Martius, Pamela Moore, a union executive board member, said the janitors are simply asking to be fairly compensated for their hard work and the crucial role they have played in the downtown's revitalization.

"We've got all kinds of money (in the city), new buildings, buildings filled up. New condos downtown. Where is our money? We want our fair share," Moore said.

Contact negotiations began in June. Union members voted this past weekend to authorize bargaining teams to call a strike if a new agreement isn't reached by the time the current contract expires July 31.

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Nicholas Desideri, a spokesman for the union, said the janitors are primarily employed by three companies: Professional Building Maintenance/Preferred Building Services (PBS/PBM), ABM Janitorial Services and GDI Omni.

Some hourly workers are earning as little as $9.45, union officials said.

About 75 people wearing purple union T-shirts gathered for the rally on a steamy hot evening. A handful of local pastors and elected officials joined them.

Detroit City Councilwoman Janeé Ayers spoke directly to the workers: "It is your hard work that is turning this city around, nobody else. At the end of the day, you all stayed in this city, you live in these communities, you deserve to get a wage that is comparable to what you need in your neighborhood."

Union member Tamara Chapple said she works in One Campus Martius, formerly called the Compuware Building, vacuuming and dusting more than 40,000 square feet in a single shift.

"People don't understand how hard janitors work every single day," she said.

"The raises our employers are offering us aren't enough. I clean a landmark billion-dollar building. It's time for a change. Downtown Detroit is booming, but my family isn't seeing the benefits."

Another union member, Octavia Renfroe, said workers need more money to be able to support their families.

"Janitors like me have plans for a better future," she said. "For me, my dream is to be a homeowner some day. But we can't make those dreams a reality on our wages."

Contract negotiations resume Tuesday and are also scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.

Contact staff writer Ann Zaniewski at 313-222-6594 or azaniewski@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AnnZaniewski