Victory! Portland Janitors and Security Officers Win Guaranteed Job-Quality Standards in New Broadway Corridor Development

SEIU members joined a community meeting in January, 2020, to present our bottom line Community Benefits Agreement demands to Portland City Council. [photo: Healthy Communities Coalition PDX]

When we fight, we win! Thanks to the hard work and advocacy of SEIU Local 49 members working with the Healthy Communities Coalition (HCC), the Portland City Council just passed a proposal that will create good jobs for janitors and security officers in a new neighborhood being developed in northwest Portland called the Broadway Corridor.Broadway Corridor is 34 acres that connects Old Town/Chinatown and the Pearl District. New development plans could create nearly 4 million square feet of space in new commercial, residential, and retail buildings--all of which will need janitorial and security services. With HCC’s support, our Union negotiated an agreement with developer Continuum Partners that will require that future owners and tenants of office buildings and large retail spaces in Broadway Corridor choose Responsible Contractors for their janitorial and security services. Among other things, Responsible Contractors are those that pay good wages and benefits at or above the prevailing wage, and they respect and encourage the right of their employees to bargain collectively. This is great news for janitors and security officers in the Portland area!The agreement also guarantees affordable housing, and opportunities for women and people of color in the construction trades. This is especially meaningful since the Broadway Corridor had historically been home to Indigenous, Black, Chinese, and Japanese Americans who have been forcibly uprooted over the past century. Our Union is proud to have participated in this incredibly important process and SEIU members will continue to fight to make sure all workers have good jobs with living wages, affordable benefits, and respect at work.