SEIU Local 2 janitors in Ottawa ratified to a new agreement on July 9. The deal will see wages increase by 6.2% in the first year of the agreement – a $1 per hour increase. Over the life of the three-year deal, wages will go from $16.20 per hour to $18.80, a 16% increase. They are the largest increases the janitors have ever won in the city.
“The 2022 bargaining agreement gave cleaners the largest wage increase in J4J history,” said Lyle Skrapek, who has been cleaned the same federal property for Domus Building Cleaning for 13 years. “We will continue to protect our gains and workers’ rights, as well as putting ourselves in a stronger negotiating position for the future.”
“Inflation has taken a sizeable toll on all of us,” said Daniel Charlebois, J4J Ottawa president, who cleans in a different federal property for Bee Clean Building Maintence. “This agreement is a pathway towards fairness and the respect that we all deserve. Together we can create a better future.”
Janitors also won wage protection language that could increase what the janitors earn should the minimum wage increase. They won improvements in various other areas including their pension plan and dental plan. Job security was enhanced through protections against subcontracting, an additional paid personal day for workers with at least five years of service, and more.
The new agreement follows the standard set in bargaining by Toronto cleaners, who ratified their agreement on April 30 of this year. SEIU Local 2 represents about 2,800 cleaners in the National Capital Region
A big thank you to the Negotiation Committee!
Celina Rosenberg (GDI Hotels), Daniel Charlebois (Bee-Clean Building Maintenance), Edgard Treminio (Service Star Building Cleaning Inc.), Fidele Bengai-Lala (Evripos Janitorial Services Ltd.), Gedeon Slim (Rapid Cleaners), John Bentivoglio (Independent), Konan Kouakou Jacques (SMR), Lyle Skrapek (Domus Building Cleaning Company Ltd), Patricia Kempenaar (Hallmark Housekeeping Services Inc), Paul Anglade (Evripos Janitorial Services Ltd), Stephen Pond (GDI Services Canada), and Vlad Zabrodski (Allen Maintenance Ltd.)
Employers covered by this agreement:
Alco Janitorial Services; Allen Maintenance; American Building Maintenance; Bee-Clean Building Maintenance; Cleanmatters Janitorial Services Limited/Dustmoon Maintenance; Compass Group Canada; Dexterra; Domus Building Cleaning Company; Dow Building Cleaners; Evripos Janitorial Services; GDI Services/Empire Maintenance Industries; Hallmark Housekeeping Services; Impact Cleaning Services; ION Facility Services; M.A. Independent Building Services; Nasco Building Cleaning; National Maintenance; Scandinavian Building Services; Service Ménagers Roy; Service Star Building Cleaning; Siloam Quality Cleaning Services.
