Victory for Broadway Cleaners

Broadway cleaners represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ have reached a tentative agreement with theater owners.

Members across more than 30 venues voted in late June to authorize a potential work stoppage if the Broadway League refused to settle a fair contract. Highlights of the agreement include a $5 per hour wage increase, improvement to the defined benefit pension, health care coverage safeguards, strengthened anti-discrimination protections and more.

“We risked our lives during COVID to make sure Broadway could safely reopen,” said Martha Aristizabal, a porter at the Ambassador Theatre. “We work long nights and weekends, often missing major milestones with family and loved ones, to do the hard work it takes to put on each and every performance. This victory honors all that we’ve put in over the years. By winning wage and pension increases, improving paid leave, and protecting our health care, we can dedicate more to taking care of ourselves and enjoying time with the people we care about.”