Photo by vpickering

On October 15 at midnight, 12,000 office cleaners in the Washington area could go on strike unless a new deal is struck between their union, Service Employees International Union’s 32BJ Local, and the Washington Service Contractors Association. The union is asking for higher wages, fewer staffing cuts and health-care benefits for more workers.

The Washington Post points out that as the Occupy Wall Street movement continues to garner attention, the story touches on one of the movement’s central questions: When will those at the bottom get to share in the recovery with those at the top?

From The Post:

The cleaning companies, represented by the Washington Service Contractors Association, say they are rebuffing union demands because they have been caught short by the still-floundering economy. The current wages and benefits “reflected the robust economy that existed when the 2007 agreement was signed,” the association said a statement. Since then, the companies, and the building owners and managers who hire them, have “been under intense pressure to hold down costs.” They are asking to keep the contract as is, at least for the first year.

But the cleaners’ union points out that the building owners who pay their wages are having their best year since the recession hit. This is especially true in Washington, which has one of the strongest commercial real estate markets in the nation. The union is asking for wage increases, fewer staffing cuts and health-care benefits for more workers. Only about a third of the office cleaners in the area are full time and receive health benefits, according to the union.