Trenton—Officials with the Trenton Board of Education have unanimously voted in favor of a new policy that will raise standards and wages for hundreds of contracted school workers.  It requires contractors to meet a minimum standard for wages and benefits for their employees who work in Trenton schools.   The new policy, which is believed to be the first of its kind approved by a local Board of Education in New Jersey, will increase hourly wages to $12.57 for contracted employees and give them quality affordable health insurance.

“This is great news for food service workers and other contracted employees like me who have struggled to survive on low wages,” said Lynnetta Roberts, a food service worker at Washington Elementary School.  “The new standard wage policy will give me a living wage so I can feed my family, afford health insurance and continue to do a job that I love, which is to serve and nurture students.”

“We applaud Trenton Board of Education officials for supporting this standard wage policy because it will uplift contracted workers and their families, many of whom live in Trenton,” said Kevin Brown, 32BJ Vice President and NJ State Director.  “A higher wage and quality affordable health benefits will give food service workers, school janitors and security officers the ability to afford more than just the basics—it will enable them to give their children a bright future.”

*About 32BJ: With 155,000 members in 11 states–including more than 11,000 in New Jersey–32BJ SEIU is the largest property services union in the country.

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