Janitors and security officers marched through Minneapolis skyways Thursday to demonstrate their determination to get a fair contract.

“We’ve tried to bargain in good faith,” said Demetruis Moore, a member of the bargaining committee who’s worked as a security officer for more than five years. “But it’s clear they have no intention of doing so. Either come to the table and bargain in good faith, or we’re done. We’ll see you in the streets.”

The workers are represented by Service Employees International Union Local 26, which has contracts with Twin Cities and suburban companies providing cleaning and security services in office buildings and other facilities. For the first time, all their contracts are being negotiated simultaneously.

The current pacts expired Dec. 31, and union members said they are frustrated with what they call bad faith bargaining by management.

Members of the union’s bargaining committees led the march, which was joined by Local 26 members and community allies.

“We’re here to show the companies we mean business, unlike them,” said John Vinje, a security officer from Big Lake. “They show up hours late for meetings, or don’t even show up at all. We’re ready to bargain, are they?”

Employers are seeking to cut wages and convert many full-time jobs to part-time, the union said. Members Local 26 clean and protect some of the Twin Cities’ largest office buildings that house some of the wealthiest corporations in the country, including Target, US Bank, and Wells Fargo.

“It’s not fair that while our productivity is going up, our wages are not keeping pace,” said Margarita Del Angel, a janitor who spoke at the rally. “We are being forced to do more and more work for the same amount, so our employers can cut back on workers and save money at our expense. And now, they are demanding to pay us even less.

“They want to cut wages for more than half of us. Some of us would see our wages cut by 40%. It is already hard enough to support a family on these wages. Additional cuts are impossible. They want to lock us into poverty, while continuing to grow richer at our expense.”

The average worker in Local 26 earns $20,503 annually. The federal poverty line for a family of four is $23,050. In a survey, 91% of members said they would use a raise to pay for basic necessities, including groceries, school, rent or mortgage.

If Local 26 members vote on Feb. 9 to authorize a strike, the bargaining committees would then decide when and if a strike was necessary, as well as set a date for a strike. If a strike were to happen, it would be one of the largest strikes to ever happen in downtown Minneapolis.

In 2008, a new contract was negotiated for 1,000 security officers after they struck in downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis. In 2006 and 2009, janitors voted to authorize strikes, but both were narrowly averted.

“We are tired of the runaround,” said Moore. “While we are proposing fair raises to move workers forward, our employers are demanding cuts. This would move workers backwards. The corporate elite in this country have the power to help unlock a better future for all of Minnesota. It’s time they do that.”