Following a tentative contract agreement reached Thursday between Boston University workers and the university administration, the local chapter of the 32BJ Service Employees International Union will vote to ratify the contract Monday.
If ratified, the agreement, which address wages and healthcare costs, would provide a 10 percent raise over four years and cover 700 custodians, mail room operators, groundskeepers and skilled trades workers who maintain more than 300 buildings on campus, according to a Friday press release.
“I am happy we were ale to get to an agreement that honors the hard work BU workers have done in the past and continue to do,” said Roxana Rivera, district director of 32BJ SEIU. “At the end of the day, workers want to see BU thrive, and it’s great that they’re able to move forward together in a positive way and make BU stronger.”
BU spokesman Colin Riley said the agreement shows respect for the university’s employees and benefits both parties.
“The university has come to an agreement with workers on a good, generous contract for our employees that includes competitive wages and benefits,” he said. “We respect their enormous contribution to the university and look forward to continued good relations with union employees.”
Rivera said the agreement represents the culmination of efforts by the bargaining committee, the workers and a Boston City Council resolution. Negotiations for the contract began in August.
“This all came together to make it clear to BU what our goals [are] and what was at stake,” she said. “It’s important for them to hear. The university has to make many important decisions, and sometimes workers’ issues, unless expressed, are not given the attention they deserve.”
Rivera said she hopes the SEIU members will vote in favor of the agreement Monday and the contract will be ratified.
On Wednesday, workers voted to authorize a strike if an agreement with BU was not achieved. Over 90 percent voted in favor of allowing the union bargaining committee to authorize strike, but as a result of reaching the agreement, the strike was avoided, said 32BJ SEIU spokesman Eugenio Villasante.
Prior to the vote, BU workers held two marches from Marsh Plaza to BU President Robert Brown’s office at 1 Silber Way to demand stronger, fairer contracts.
Several students said while they were not aware that problems persisted between workers and the university, they are glad that they were able to settle on an agreement.
“It’s nice that we’re in a country where you can express your concerns and people will back you up,” said Christina Spoleti, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. “The workers are pretty important on campus. It’s the little things like heating and clean bathrooms that we look over, and when we don’t have them, you notice heavily.”
Leona Al Sayah, a first-year graduate student in the School of Medicine, said she is glad that union workers and the university reached a resolution without strike, but the agreement should not have come so close to the contract expiration date.
“The workers keep everything together on campus, and it wouldn’t be the same without then,” she said. “Having them have what they need so they can keep the grounds safe is good because they’re the backbone of BU. They [workers and the university] all need each other to run. They need to communicate and rely on each other.”
Rivera said she remains hopeful that BU workers will work hand-in-hand with the administration in upcoming years.
“Many members were engaged in the process, and we hope to keep them engaged and become active in the union and workplace,” she said. “Lots of folks came forward, and it feels good to see what they will achieve.”
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