A new union contract will raise wages to at least $15 an hour over a four-year period for nearly 2,000 Portland-area janitors.
SEIU Local 49 reached the agreement with its union-signatory contractors association June 29, and it was ratified by members July 9.
Under the new contract, wages will rise by $1.80 an hour in four increments, reaching $15.25 an hour in downtown Portland July 1, 2019, and $15 elsewhere. The contract also preserves existing health benefits through 2018. And it increases short-term disability benefits and improves vacation and work rules.
The settlement came about five days after members voted to authorize the union bargaining committee to call a strike.
