Georgetown University’s facilities workers voted to approve a new contract March 10 following negotiations between the facilities workers’ union, 1199SEIU, and the university.
The 30-month contract, which went into effect immediately following the vote, includes an overall 15% pay increase compounded across five 6-month segments, a $6 increase in meal vouchers and minimum starting salary increases. Although they hoped for a greater raise, facilities workers praised the contract, which covers employees across a variety of departments, including bus drivers, sanitation workers, housekeepers, maintenance staff and landscapers.
Michael Fleming, a Georgetown University Transportation System (GUTS) driver, said the workers wanted the union to begin negotiations with an 18% increase, rather than the initial demand of 16%, but are satisfied with the finalized 15% raise.
“I think what I wanted — what a lot of us wanted — was 18%, to start there and then work our way down a little bit, because we knew they weren’t going to give us 18%, but it was worth a try,” Fleming told The Hoya. “But they started off at 16%. I was a little upset with that part of it, but getting 15% is cool, and I have no problem with it.”
Charles Gore, a facilities worker on the bargaining team, said workers were anxious to finalize a contract.
“They’ve been waiting too long for it — since June,” Gore told The Hoya. “I think that’s what the university was counting on, as far as the impatience of employees wanting to get the contract over with so they can get their first raise.”
During negotiations in February, a university spokesperson said Georgetown respects the bargaining process, citing the university’s Just Employment Policy, which guarantees fair and competitive compensation for all full-time employees and contractors.
The previous contract expired in January, but was extended indefinitely until the Tuesday vote, according to Carrietta Hiers, the vice president of 1199SEIU’s Washington, D.C. branch. The new contract applied retroactively to January, giving employees an immediate 5% raise with backpay.
Hiers said university administrators listened to workers’ demands amid Georgetown’s ongoing financial restrictions.
“They respected what workers were saying at the table,” Hiers told The Hoya on Monday, in advance of the vote. “They heard us. Even though they’re in a financial bind, things are going on, they came in ready to bargain with our members. And they listened.”
The Georgetown Coalition for Workers’ Rights (GCWR), a student group advocating for labor rights, supported facilities workers through the negotiation process. The organization delivered a petition to the university calling for fair wages before a February bargaining session.
Elinor Clark (CAS ’27), GCWR’s facilities team lead, said the university still undervalues facilities workers and that students must continue advocating for them.
“We commend Georgetown’s verbal commitment to bargaining in good faith, but when the payment of workers is undervalued and their work is under-appreciated, we as students need to step in and stand up for the community members who make this campus run,” Clark told The Hoya.
“We hope that this contract can serve as a catalyst for further organizing within our Georgetown community to stand up for the needs and rights of our facilities workers,” Clark added.
Fleming said he is glad the negotiation process concluded quickly and that he views the contract’s benefits as offsetting the lower-than-hoped-for pay increase.
“I was happy for it because I wanted them to hurry up and get this thing done and signed so we can move on,” Fleming said. “A lot of people weren’t happy with the money part of it. Like I said earlier, you have to look at the bigger picture of the contract. If they give you more, you’re going to lose more in certain areas where you don’t want to lose in — like health care, 401(k), sick and vacation leave.”
Most of the previous contract will remain unchanged, including health insurance premiums and parking vouchers. The pay increase is also greater than the 12% raise workers received throughout the previous contract period, according to Hiers.
Gore said he hopes to work with the union to encourage the university to improve communication with workers.
“Once this contract is done, there’s not much more that can be done besides changing some of the policies that the university has,” Gore said. “Those policies are hard to follow or to try and get everybody to understand when most of the employees aren’t even interested in finding out what they are.”
Fleming said he hopes to see Georgetown support facilities workers into the future, citing GUTS drivers’ ongoing fight with the university over labor practices.
“What I’m looking for with Georgetown is stability,” Fleming said. “Everyone around here is on pins and needles looking for Georgetown to get back to what Georgetown used to be.”
