Richmond workers earned an important victory this week, when 400 environmental service cleaners employed at VCU Health won their first union contract with the medical institution.

The contract includes a $3 hourly wage increase, protections against unjust discipline and termination, a grievance and arbitration process, seniority for job postings, and the creation of a joint committee of workers and managers to address concerns and ensure all voices are heard.

For Mark Abrams, who works at VCU’s Children’s Hospital of Richmond and is responsible for separating biohazardous material from trash, the importance of the new contract was evident, ensuring better pay and support for both himself and his mother.

“If we don’t take it out, the hospital can’t function,” Abrams said of the work they do for the hospital. “This new contract will help to pay for our groceries, doctors’ visits, credit card debt and the plumbing to keep her house safe and clean.”

The union contract is the second one Richmond workers have secured with the help of labor group Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, after campus building cleaners at Virginia Commonwealth University negotiated their own contract with the group’s support in 2023.