New Haven – 162 New Haven public school cleaners yesterday reached a tentative two-year agreement with GCA Services Group yesterday that includes wage increases, healthcare coverage, paid sick days and vacation time.

“The benefits and wage increases we were able to secure will help our communities prosper,” said Juan Hernandez, 32BJ SEIU Connecticut District Director. “The contract is an important victory for the workers and their families as we welcome them to our union.”

“We work hard to provide students with a clean and healthy school, but we weren’t being provided with the benefits to keep healthy ourselves,” said Arnold Hunter, school cleaner at Wilbur Cross High School. “I am proud to say that because my coworkers and I stood together, we won significant improvements to our quality of life.”

The tentative bargaining agreement will be presented to the workers for their ratification on November 2. The school cleaners had continued to work without a contract, healthcare coverage, paid sick days, vacation time off, or even cost-of-living increases for two years.

With more than 145,000 members in 11 states, including 4,500 in Connecticut, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country.

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