SEIU* Local 1, which represents roughly 13,500 Chicago area janitors, reached a tentative contract agreement with the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago, heading off a strike.

An SEIU spokesman told the Sun-Times that the union succeeded in getting fair wages and good health care and benefits for their workers. SEIU, though, must still negotiate with the managers of suburban office buildings: About 3,000 of their members work at these buildings.

* The SEIU Illinois Council sponsors this web site.