CLEVELAND, Ohio — The union representing janitors at Sherwin-Williams Co. says the paint manufacturer should be excluded from public funding for its new headquarters because it is replacing union janitors with lower-paid non-union ones.

For Service Employees International Union Local 1, the issue is bigger than nearly 30 janitors who work at the downtown headquarters, losing their jobs Jan. 31. The company is getting rid of a cleaning contractor that uses union janitors for one that doesn’t use union labor.

SEIU says its janitors are paid between $12 and $15 and hour and that non-union janitors are typically paid between $9 and $10. (Ohio’s minimum wage is $8.70.) The union says it is “civically irresponsible and morally wrong” for Sherwin-Williams to make decisions that would undercut the pay of low-wage workers in a city that consistently ranks near the nation’s top for poverty.

A Sherwin-Williams statement emailed to The Plain Dealer says the company decided to change cleaning contractors because ABM wasn’t doing a good job. Sherwin-Williams notified the contractor Dec. 30. The statement emphasized that the janitors are not Sherwin-Williams employees.

Adding to the union’s concern is Sherwin-Williams’ announcement late last year about building a new global headquarters and research and development facility. The company is negotiating potential incentives with the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.

“I don’t feel they deserve our money, the taxes we pay,” said Tiffany Gallego of Cleveland, one of the janitors scheduled to be laid off. “You’re trying to kick us out of our jobs and use our tax dollars for your new building! It’s not fair.”

Yanela Sims, Ohio state director/vice president of SEIU Local 1, said Sherwin-Williams’ decision, which will potentially reduce janitors’ pay, has implications beyond those losing jobs.

“This is an issue of income inequality,” she said. “The haves are profiting off of the have-nots, whose tax money is going to fund their (Sherwin-Williams) project. There are a lot of have-nots that live in the city of Cleveland.”

An increasing number of Ohio employers, including Fifth Third Bank and the City of Cleveland, have instituted at least a $15 minimum wage. Fifth Third Bank’s minimum became $18 in October.

Sherwin-Williams doesn’t have control over janitors’ employment or pay, according to the company statement.

“Regretfully, there have been consistent performance and quality issues with the cleaning services provided by ABM over an extended period of time,” the statement says. “These issues were reported on a regular basis to ABM, yet the issues were never resolved.”

ABM has not yet responded to The Plain Dealer’s request for comment.

Janitor Terrie Eddy of Cleveland said she and her colleagues did a good job of keeping the building clean. She questions why the company didn’t choose another union contractor to replace ABM. Eddy, who has been assigned to Sherwin-Williams headquarters for 16 years, said that had happened in the past, and that she and many colleagues were able to keep their positions.

Sherwin-Williams didn’t respond to The Plain Dealer’s question about why another union contractor hadn’t been chosen.

Eddy said she is consumed with anxiety at the thought of being unable to land another union job and then having to work for at least $3 less an hour.

“I deserve not to be kicked out on the curb and have to struggle for where my next meal is coming from,” she said. “I’ve worked there a long time and I take my work really seriously.”

Janitor Ruth Young of Cleveland isn’t only concerned about a pay cut. She said many non-union jobs are part-time with no health insurance benefits.

“I need medical,” she said. “I have Lupus. I’m 62. I’ve worked there for 20 years. I was planning on retiring from there. It’s not fair.”

The union continues to lobby Sherwin-Williams to save its members’ jobs, but SEIU is also working to enlist the help of public officials.

“I would hope that they would rally behind us in our goal to create one Cleveland that works for everybody, not just the rich,” Sims said.

She said the union has contacted Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cleveland City Council and Cuyahoga County Council.

The Plain Dealer contacted each, including asking about SEIU’s concerns about Sherwin-Williams receiving public funding for a new headquarters.

“We are moving ahead with our negotiations to retain Sherwin-Williams in Cleveland and look forward to a favorable outcome,” the Jackson administration responded in an email.

Cuyahoga County Council President Dan Brady expressed a similar sentiment.

“SEIU did reach out to the County on this issue," Brady wrote in an email. “We are fully dedicated to keeping Sherwin-Williams in Cuyahoga County.”

“This is not a matter before the council,” wrote a City Council spokeswoman in an email. “And council will not inject itself in negotiations between a private company and their workforce.”

Janitor Kamisha Neal of Cleveland, like many of her colleagues, is remaining optimistic about keeping her job, days before she is scheduled to be laid off.

“I hope that we can come together and work something out,” she said. I can’t be knocked down like $3 an hour. Going down that far would really be crazy."