This Saturday, over 1,000 janitors in Hartford, Stamford and New Haven voted unanimously to authorize a strike.
The contract, which covers 2,400 janitors in the region, expires on Dec. 31.
If an agreement is not reached, the union, 32BJ SEIU, can now call a strike anytime on or after Jan. 1.
Over 4,000 janitors are covered in Connecticut by two agreements between the union and employer groups that represent dozens of cleaning contracting companies, according to a union spokesperson. One agreement covers 3,000 janitors in Fairfield County and the lower Hudson Valley. The other agreement covers 2,400 janitors across the rest of Connecticut, with the majority of buildings located in New Haven and Hartford counties.
The strike allows the bargaining committee to act quickly if current negotiations over wages, benefits and working conditions can't be resolved, according to the union spokesperson.
The affected janitors clean more than 80 percent of large commercial buildings in and around the two cities.
