A union representing hundreds of janitors who clean many downtown Detroit buildings says it has a new contract that will bring $15 an hour wages.
Service Employees International Union Local 1 announced Tuesday that a four-year contract has been ratified, averting a possible strike.
The union says the $15 an hour wage will be reached in the third year of the contract. It says some janitors are struggling on wages currently as low as $9.45 an hour.
SEIU Local 1 represents more than 1,700 area janitors. Members had said they'd strike, if needed, if negotiations didn't reach a deal. The current contract was up this week. The union also represents security officers, food service workers and others across the Midwest.