Broadway cleaners, represented by 32BJ SEIU, reached a tentative agreement with the Broadway League on June 30, 2026, following a rally and a strike vote. The new contract proposes a $5 hourly wage increase, totaling a 21 percent raise by the end of the four-year agreement, alongside improved paid leave and health care protections.
Tentative Agreement Details
The tentative agreement, finalized late Wednesday, includes significant enhancements for the more than 250 cleaners working on popular shows like Chicago and Aladdin. Key features of the deal are:
- $5 wage increase
- 21 percent total wage hike over four years
- Improved paid leave
- Protection for employer-paid family health care
- Enhanced pension benefits
- Stronger anti-discrimination practices
- Juneteenth recognized as a paid holiday
This agreement marks a pivotal moment as it is the first time in 18 years that cleaners authorized a strike, highlighting the urgency of their demands.
Union Leadership's Perspective
During the rally, Denis Johnston, Executive Vice President of 32BJ SEIU, emphasized the dire financial struggles of union members due to high inflation and housing costs. He stated, “With the high cost of inflation in the city, the high cost of housing, our members are deeply, deeply struggling, like many other working people, and we have to deliver a very strong wage settlement for our members.”
