Janitors’ Choice: Strike or Higher Health Bills

About 3,000 janitors are expected to vote Saturday on whether to ratify a proposed contract that would increase their health-care payments or stage a strike that would affect operations at 250 buildings.

“Health care is the No. 1 critical issue, and quite frankly, if we cannot get it resolved, there could very well be a strike,” said Michael Baratz, negotiator for Service Employees International Union, Local 1877.

Janitors employed in San Francisco have had full family health insurance for more than 30 years. Now building owners, with vacancy rates greater than 20%, and the cleaning contractors who employ the workers, are proposing that the custodians help bear the costs, said Bob Ford, a management employment lawyer and chief negotiator for the cleaning companies.