The New York City Council, in a marathon end-of-year meeting that lasted late into the night on December 18, passed the Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act, phasing in new minimum pay and benefits standards for this industry in New York City. The legislation, which still must be signed into law by the mayor, was sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Adams and dozens of co-sponsors, and heavily supported by 32BJ SEIU which represents 20,000 security guards
On Monday morning, hundreds of custodians holding purple 32BJ SEIU "Harvard On Strike" signs walked off the job, marching through Harvard Yard in Cambridge and demanding fair wage increases. The strike began Monday at 10 a.m., with a large cohort of custodians directly employed by Harvard who maintain dorms, classrooms, administrative buildings, and other facilities at the university. The strike will continue with two more cleaning units that Harvard contracts - C&W Services and ABM Industries.