Nearly 5,300 janitors in the Houston area have been negotiating with the cities five largest janitorial companies since July for better wages and benefits. According to reports from the Houston Chronicle, the janitors are currently earning an average of $5.30 an hour, but are fighting for a raise to $8.50 an hour in two years, along with family health insurance.

The five cleaning contractors involved with negotiations with the workers' union include: ABM Janitorial Services, Sanitors Services of Texas, OneSource Facility Services, GCA Services Group and Pritchard Industries Southwest.

To help fight their cause, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) joined forces with the janitors by outlining what janitors were making in similar sized cities across the U.S. According to the SEIU, janitors in Chicago who work for the same employer as some of the Houston janitors earn $13.80 an hour and receive family health care benefits. Janitors in Los Angeles earn $10.65 an hour.

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