Janitors and custodial staff at the University of Miami, who clean the institution's classrooms, dormitories, and medical facilities, are on the brink of a strike over wage disputes. Represented by SEIU Local 32BJ, a majority of its members have formally given the nod to authorize a work stoppage. This comes as a response to what they consider insufficient wage offers from ABM, the firm the university outsources these services to. According to a CBS News Miami report, the union, which includes janitors, groundskeepers, and other custodial staff, is in the midst of discussions to negotiate higher wages.
As the cost of living continues to escalate, the current wages, which stand about $15 per hour, have come under scrutiny. Union leaders and workers argue that ABM's offer of an additional 50 cents per hour annually for several years is trailing far behind the rising living costs. Sharing his plight, janitor Shares Lefevre, who has been employed at UM for over a decade and is struggling to make ends meet and to support family in Haiti, told CBS News Miami, "If it wasn't for us, trash would be piling up because there would be no one to pick that up, so that is our job so if we do our job pay us well."
In a statement provided to the press, ABM acknowledged the value of their employees, emphasizing their commitment to maintaining a clean and safe learning environment, and conveyed their ongoing efforts to negotiate fairly and reach an agreeable resolution. The University of Miami, while not the direct employer of the custodial staff—who are contractually ABM's workforce—has also voiced its confidence that the dispute will be resolved amicably. The university values the relationship it has fostered both with ABM and the union, a sentiment found in a statement published by CBS News Miami.
Union leadership recalls past efforts where workers had to resort to a strike, including a 17-day hunger strike back in 2006 before the union was established. SEIU 32BJ vice president Helene O'Brien recounted these events and stressed the importance of reaching a fair deal before the end of the current contract on August 31, as mentioned in the Miami Herald. Negotiations are set to continue on Thursday and if no agreement is struck, the workers are gearing up to stage a walkout the following week.
