Pitt, workers negotiate contract

Many people have probably waved to them on their way to the shower in the morning, or had… Many people have probably waved to them on their way to the shower in the morning, or had them come to their aid when there was no hot water to shower with.

The 350 workers, including grounds crew and maintenance mechanics, from the Service Employees International Union, Local 27 Division 24, clean all of Pitt’s academic buildings and dormitories, according to Tom Hoffman, the local union’s deputy trustee. The union is currently negotiating with the University in an effort to extend their contract, which expired Dec. 31, 2002.

Though the union workers serve many functions at Pitt, the Service Employees International Union is also involved in labor-related functions across the nation. The SEIU includes health care, public service and building service workers, and is the largest union in the United States, with 1.5 million members in the United States and Canada.

Hoffman, who is also the communications director for Central States Service Bargaining Council, said the union, which is part of the AFL-CIO, is one of the few unions in the United States that is still increasing in numbers.

The SEIU’s Justice for Janitors campaign focuses on unionizing janitors and helping them obtain a living wage and benefits. The janitors come from major cities across the United States, including Boston, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

Hoffman explained that Justice for Janitors started in Pittsburgh in 1985 after Downtown businesses began to use cleaning subcontractors instead of hiring janitors as employees of the specific companies. Many janitors lost full-time work, pensions and health care benefits. Since then, “thousands and thousands” of janitors have joined the national campaign, he said.

“Pittsburgh used to have a lot of really good blue collar jobs at the steel mills and in the mines. Janitorial jobs Downtown or here at Pitt are some of the last few really good blue collar jobs,” Hoffman said.

The SEIU frequently works with Pitt’s Students in Solidarity in the Justice for Janitors project, particularly with the Living Wage Committee. Paul Cooley Jr., co-chair of the committee, said they were working on informing students about the janitors’ situation. In the next two weeks, they will be issuing surveys to students concerning their opinion on campus cleanliness.

In addition to the Justice for Janitors campaign, the SEIU also worked to get a living wage passed in Allegheny County, but city council voted it down it last year.

Hoffman said extension negotiations, which began in December, are still in the beginning stages. Both parties have called for a media blackout during the early stages and won’t discuss specific proposals or stipulations being made at this time. Hoffman explained that this blackout will make initial talks go more smoothly.

Hoffman added that the last time they worked on contract negotiations, it took two years to come to an agreement. Though he was not directly involved in the settlements, he said, “I just remember that there were some serious issues involved.”

Pitt’s Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Robert Hill said he hopes the negotiations will produce a settlement that serves the University and serves the best interests of the union.

“We’ve have had many contracts with them, so there’s a mutually respectful relationship,” he said.