Cleveland janitors call for higher wages

Between the lines: SEIU bargains directly with employers who occupy the buildings they clean.

• They chose to demonstrate outside DCI to ensure that downtown developers and power brokers — many of whom sit on DCI's board — hear the message, Yanela Sims, SEIU Local 1's vice president and Ohio director, told Axios.

What they're saying: Multiple janitors emphasized that pay hasn't kept pace with the cost of living.

• They're seeking higher wages — currently about $14 per hour — and better benefits, including retirement protections, in the new five-year contract.

Friction point: As when SEIU ratified its previous contract, the local union is seeking to juxtapose its membership — which is majority Black and majority female — with the handsomely subsidized properties they clean.

• "The building I work in [Flats East Bank] is receiving tax breaks," said janitor Terry Eddy. "We aren't against development, but if downtown is getting all these subsidies, there is no reason we should have to live paycheck to paycheck."

What's next: The current contract expires April 30. Per SEIU, negotiations are scheduled to begin the last week of March.