500 Baltimore office cleaners authorize strike as contract nears end

A group of 500 commercial office cleaners in Baltimore voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon to authorize a strike as their contract with a Washington-area contractor is set to expire. The cleaners, who are unionized with 32BJ Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and work in 50 buildings including the 100 Light Street and 250 W. Pratt St. towers owned by COPT Defense Properties, are pushing back on the Washington Service Contractors Association’s proposal to cut 1,100 workers’ shifts across the region from five to four hours.