in our Spotlight on Business Report unrest within the labor industry continues ramping up this time among thousands of commercial cleaning workers in New Jersey labor union 32bj SEIU today had the ears of top state lawmakers as they push forward in contract negotiations for their members who clean more than 600 buildings throughout the Garden State as Ted Goldberg reports this is the first agreement to be negotiated in the tri-state area since the pandemic changed office building work culture there's a lot of work that goes into keeping the credential Center clean workers like ederon are busy making their way to clean different areas Security Office the loading dock the dressing room uh bathrooms I clean all offices she's kept the rock clean for 16 years Van's Union is negotiating a new contract with cleaning companies for the first time in four years the Union 32 BJ represents more than 6,000 cleaners Statewide and they're asking for all of their employees to get retirement since only some of them are eligible right now it would be great because they'll be able to retire instead of dependent on Social Security cuz Social Security don't pay you enough we're not sure if we're going to get Social Security so at least we have a retirement and they have a retirement to fall back off cleaners who are a part of 32bj operate in more than 500 buildings across New Jersey other demands include keeping their same level of healthare and a $20 minimum wage the cost the living is going enough and our pockets are not going up so we need more money to pay for college I have a daughter that's in college so I need to continue to make sure make more wages so she can further you know finish her school I can be able to pay my rent grocery Etc the union spoke to local leaders today and filled them in on how negotiations are going because of you air airports were safer buildings were safer schools were cleaner and safer and you did all of that important work each and every day often when everybody else was being told to stay home during the pandemic we showed up each and every single day to work because we don't get to work from home and that's something critical we are essential workers we reached out to some of those cleaning companies for comment and didn't hear back there have been two days of bargaining and Von says there's ground to make up before the current contract ends on December 31st they were like uh like a push back like you know everything we ask for they push back on like they had their own plan if we are not able to get to that agreement our members are 100% perfectly willing if we cannot get a fair agreement to hit the bricks in January in the cold and go out on strike we are ready to go on strike it's we're just ready can't take nothing for granted in case there's no contract agreed upon by that date the union has scheduled a strike authorization vote for December 13th the presedential center is hosting a devil's game that night and Devil's games are just some of the events that could be affected by this Union going on strike in nework I'm Ted Goldberg NJ Spotlight news support for the business report provided by the New Jersey tourism industry Association n jtia will host their New Jersey conference on tourism November 30th through December 1st at Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City nti.org for event [Music] [Music]