Thousands of the areas janitors are threatening to go on strike—they’re in the middle of negotiations over a new contract.

Earlier this month, we noted that some 12,000 office cleaners in the Washington area were planning to go on strike if their demands for higher wages, fewer staffing cuts and health-care benefits for more workers were not met. Looks like the threat worked.

At midnight on October 15, 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.