Janitors Reach Tentative Deal With Twin Cities Employers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The union representing thousands of janitors in the Twin Cities and their employers have reached a tentative contract agreement.

The deal averts a strike that was to begin later Monday.

Service Employees International Union Local 26 spokesman Josh Keller says the agreement was reached about 1 a.m. Monday after a bargaining session that lasted 12 hours. Union members must ratify the tentative deal.

Union leaders reportedly say janitors won their largest wage increase in decades, improvements to health care and other gains. The union represents about 4,000 janitors in the metro area. The union was seeking a $1 raise in each of the next three years, up from the current wage of $14.62 an hour.