300 Halifax-area cleaners could go on strike next week: SEIU

Halifax-area cleaners gathered ahead of a possible strike. (Source: Facebook/Justice for Janitors Canada)

Three-hundred private sector cleaners in Halifax could go on strike next week if an agreement over a new contract is not reached.

The Service Employees International Union Local 2 (SEIU) says the cleaners with GDI Integrated Facilities Services have been without a contract since last September. They have a final conciliation meeting with the employer on Thursday and if a deal is not struck, they will go on strike next Monday.

“The cleaners are seeking raises that keep up with the increased cost of living, improved access to health benefits, retirement security, and language that would protect them from unfair workloads and protect their jobs from being subcontracted out,” a news release from SEIU says.

GDI cleaners work at the ferry terminals, Purdy’s Wharf, Mic Mac Mall, the Halifax Shopping Centre and the RCMP headquarters in Dartmouth, among other places.

The release says most GDI cleaners in Halifax make between $15.60 and $16.45 an hour. Workers voted in favour of a strike action last November.

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