Bradley Praises Janitors as 3-Week Strike Ends

Century City janitors ended a strike Tuesday by ratifying a labor contract with a large cleaning company and then held a rally where Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky praised them for their resoluteness during the three-week work stoppage.

A tentative settlement negotiated Sunday means Service Employees International Union will represent approximately 500 janitors employed by International Service System Inc. in Los Angeles, including 180 janitors who work in 13 office towers cleaned by ISS in Century City.

Janitors will return to work Friday. The average janitor’s pay will increase immediately from $4.50 an hour to $5.20, with health insurance and vacation benefits to start next spring, union officials said. “Fairness is all that has ever been requested . . . to bring about a living wage,” Bradley told the rally.