Council approves wage bill for city building workers

City Council unanimously passed a bill today that would require office cleaners and security guards who work in large city-owned or leased buildings or residences to be paid a prevailing wage.

If those buildings are sold, the new owners must agree to pay cleaners a prevailing wage for 10 years. The same provisions apply to buildings that receive any kind of financial assistance from Philadelphia or with the assistance of Philadelphia.

The bill, which was promoted by the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, will not have much impact on most building owners, said Robert Martin, president of the Building Operators' Labor Relations division of the Building Owners' and Managers' Association of Philadelphia.

Building service workers in most of the buildings are already covered under a collective bargaining agreement with the union, he said.

The bill was introduced by City Council member James F. Kenney and co-sponsored by William K. Greenlee, Blondell Reynolds Brown, and Juan Ramos.