Striking window washers ratify new contract, win wage increase to $26 hourly over the life of the deal

July 27--After nearly a month on strike, the window washers who dangle from Chicago's downtown high-rises have ratified a new contract that includes a 27 percent wage hike.

The agreement raises the base hourly wage of experienced window washers to $26 over the life of the five-year contract, and doubles their life insurance to $100,000 from $50,000, Service Employees International Union Local 1 said Friday after members "overwhelmingly" approved the contract.

The wage increase, from $20.50 currently, is the largest in the union's history, said the SEIU Local 1, which represents about 260 window washers.

"I'm more than happy," said Cruz Guzman, 27, a second-generation window washer who helped negotiate the new contract. "My dad never saw a wage increase like this."

The window washers went on strike July 2, two days after their last contract expired. Some window washers could return to work as soon as Friday evening, union spokeswoman Izabela Miltko-Ivkovich said. Others will return to work on Monday.

Cleaning projects have been halted on Chicago's glassy buildings during the strike, which was a "big disruption," said Tom Trinen, president of Service One, which employs over 50 union window washers.

"Both employers and employees and clients are very anxious to get them back," Trinen said. "It hasn't been positive for either side. No one wins with a strike. "

He added: "They deserve a raise. They work hard."

The window washers' contract dispute attracted symbolic support from dozens of aldermen, the city's Latino Caucus and Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Even Mayor Rahm Emanuel made a point to walk out and approach the striking workers with handshakes when they demonstrated outside City Hall, though he did not specifically address the protest or the demands.

Guzman said the victory is not only about wages, but also an industry culture that some workers feel has lagged behind other trades.

"This strike brought everyone together," said Guzman, who picketed daily. "It only makes the membership stronger in terms of what you want from the process."

The union had initially sought a three-year contract with a base wage increase to $25. The agreed-upon contract raises the wage a bit more gradually, to $24.25 in year three and to $26 in year five.

It also raises the starting wage for apprentices to $16, from $12 currently, effective Wednesday.

"The companies recognized that to recruit window washers they had to increase the starting pay and ensure they took care of their employees," said Efrain Elias, residential division director at the union.

The new contract also addresses workers' concerns about rising health insurance premiums. Employers currently pay 60 percent of workers' premiums, but the amount is capped, and the union wanted to lift the cap. The cap won't be lifted, but employers will contribute more in the last two years of the contract, Elias said.

Corporate Cleaning Services, the largest window washing company in the city and the main target of the union's protest, cast the agreement as a victory for the company.

"Despite several weeks of vicious personal attacks against him, (CEO) Neal Zucker took a leadership role in these negotiations, to ensure a fair wage for both his workers at Corporate Cleaning Services and the employees at the city's other window-washing companies," the company said in a statement. "We are pleased that those workers recognized that SEIU's unreasonable and unprecedented demand for a 37 percent wage increase was not realistic and that they voted for the fair wage and strong insurance package we offered. We look forward to continuing to provide our clients with the high-quality, professional service they deserve."

Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker called Zucker in recent weeks about the strike at the request of SEIU, a campaign spokeswoman said.

"I was pleased to call the owner of the window-washing company to express to him my desire that they settle this -- that the striking workers get a reasonable wage -- and encouraged him to come back to the bargaining table," Pritzker said at an unrelated event Friday.

Pritzker said he was "just one voice" among several people in conversations during the strike, "but I'm really glad they ended up settling."

Jorge Arizaga, 27, started as a window washer eight years ago earning $10 an hour at a small company. Now at Corporate Cleaning Services, where he says he earns $20.50, Arivaga said the raise will help his family.

"We don't live a luxurious lifestyle," he said. "If I could vacation a little more often, take a few days off to dedicate to my wife and kids -- not only do I deserve it, but they deserve it too."

Though the job is dangerous, Arizaga says he enjoys it, and he looks forward to going back to his perch hanging from the sides of the city's tallest buildings.

"It's fun, it's exciting, it's a bunch of adrenaline," he said. "The view is amazing. We watch the sunrise on Lake Michigan."

Chicago Tribune's Greg Pratt and Rick Pearson contributed.

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