Higher wages would spur huge increase in Palo Alto's janitorial costs

Jose Elizalde, custodian assistant for the City of Palo Alto, heads out to empty trash and clean the facilities at Cubberley Community Center on Aug. 8, 2017. Elizalde, an hourly employee with the city of Palo Alto, also works part-time for the Palo Alto Unified School District. Photo by Veronica Weber.

Palo Alto's commitment to fair wages will face its first real test Monday night, when the City Council considers a new janitorial contract that will more than double the cost of keeping City Hall and other public buildings clean.

The proposed five-year contract with the firm SWA Services Group would cost the city about $1.9 million in the first year, which according to a Public Works Department report represents an increase of about $1.2 million in 2018 alone over the current provider. In subsequent years, the city would pay between $1.96 million and $2.15 million for the service.

More at source: Palo Alto Online

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