SEIU Local 1 is one of the sponsors of Saturday's One Cleveland Forum at which wage and housing are among the issues that will be discussed. In this photo, janitors represented by the union rally in front of the offices of the nonprofit Downtown Cleveland, Inc. on Thursday, Feb. 29. The union is asking the nonprofit, whose members include the owners of downtown buildings, to support higher wages for janitors working downtown.
SEIU Local 1 is one of the sponsors of Saturday's One Cleveland Forum at which wage and housing are among the issues that will be discussed. In this photo, janitors represented by the union rally in front of the offices of the nonprofit Downtown Cleveland, Inc. on Thursday, Feb. 29. The union is asking the nonprofit, whose members include the owners of downtown buildings, to support higher wages for janitors working downtown. The union represents about 700 janitors. Credit: Photo courtesy of SEIU Local 1

Labor leaders and elected officials are among those scheduled to participate in an event Saturday on wages, housing and other “pressing issues” facing Clevelanders.

The One Cleveland Forum will begin at noon at MAGNET, a local nonprofit that advocates for manufacturing. It’s located at 1800 E. 63rd St. in Cleveland. Attendees must register in advance. Click here for the registration link. 

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1 janitors and the Northeast Ohio Worker Center (NEOWC) are putting on the event. Participants will include Yanela Sims, SEIU Local 1’s state director and vice president and representatives from NEOWC, Guardians for Fair Work and the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. Attendees will include State Rep. Juanita O. Brent, Councilmember Rebecca Maurer and Councilmember Kristopher Harsh.

Union members and other attendees will get a chance to weigh in on the topics.

“Oftentimes, people like us don’t get an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, here’s a thought. This is how these things affect me as a worker or as a citizen in Cleveland or in Cuyahoga County,’” Sims said. “We want to give people a platform to share that.” 

One Cleveland campaign tied to the janitors’ upcoming contract negotiations.

The forum is part of SEIU Local 1’s One Cleveland campaign tied to the janitors’ upcoming contract negotiations. The union is framing negotiations in the larger context of the lives of average Clevelanders. Like the janitors, many of them are lower-wage workers or other members of the working class. About 75% of union janitors working in downtown buildings are Cleveland residents, according to SEIU Local 1.

Sims said when working-class Cleveland makes more, the local economy benefits because they have more to spend.

“For too long, we’ve made unions separate from everything else,” she said. “Union members are also members of the community. In order for our communities to thrive, workers in general have to be able to thrive. It’s all interconnected.”

The One Cleveland campaign has included lobbying Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration to include provisions so that lower-wage workers will benefit from his proposed Shore-to-Core-to-Shore Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. The TIF district, which is intended to spur development, would include downtown and portions of the Near West Side. City Council must still approve the proposal.

Economics Reporter (she/her)
Economics is often thought of as a lofty topic, but it shouldn’t be. My goal is to offer a street-level view of economics. My focus is on how the economy affects the lives of Greater Clevelanders. My areas of coverage include jobs, housing, entrepreneurship, unions, wealth inequality and pocketbook issues such as inflation.