GREEN JANITOR
EDUCATION FUND
In 2020, SEIU 49 launched a Green Janitor certification, based on the Green Janitor Education Program (GJEP), a proven model for engaging frontline workers in reducing carbon emissions and creating climate justice.
The Portland Green Janitor program is a training program offered to union members through their employers and building owners, provided by our training partner, SEIU Education and Support Fund (SEIU ESF).
Green Janitor is a 30-hour course, certified by the U.S. Green Building Council- Los Angeles, that teaches janitors about energy and water conservation, reducing carbon emissions, green cleaning, waste reduction, and workplace safety and health.
It was inspired by the Green Janitor Education Program (GJEP), developed in California by the Building Skills Partnership, a collaboration between SEIU-United Service Workers West, janitorial employers, and building owners and managers. GJEP has trained more than 1,000 janitors in hundreds of buildings since its inception in 2014.
Janitors are largely from frontline communities most impacted by the climate crisis: people of color, immigrants, and working-class people with low incomes. Janitors are also on the front lines of building maintenance.
Buildings are the single largest contributor to carbon emissions in Multnomah County – more than vehicles and factories – representing 40% of total emissions, and reductions in this sector are one of the City of Portland's Climate Action Plan’s goals.
Through the Green Janitor program, Building owners and managers can invest in green buildings and good jobs. SEIU 49 partnered with building owners in downtown Portland and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council/Smart Building Center to launch the Portland program in September of 2021.
In Portland, Unico Properties and American Assets Trust agreed to inaugurate the program, to be a model for energy and waste reduction, while contributing to creating good jobs for frontline janitors.
The Portland Green Janitor program is a model for climate equity – where frontline workers of color and immigrants are leading the fight against climate change, while improving job quality standards.
In Portland, SEIU 49 and SEIU ESF partner with responsible building owners and managers to invest in good jobs for janitors.
To learn more about the program, Contact Maggie Long, SEIU Local 49
maggiel@seiu49.org or 503.236.4949 ext. 256