Janitors from across the metro area paraded down 17th Street in downtown Denver Thursday to celebrate their new union contract that will see pay increase for members to $15 per hour by 2020.

The members of Service Employees International Union Local 105 were set to march on 17th Street near Champa Street Thursday all week, either to announce a strike of more than 2,000 janitors across the Denver metro area or that a new contract was approved. Given the jubilation of the crowd, which numbered in the hundreds, it wasn’t hard to tell a new contract had been approved.

“It was very hard. We worked hard on this for a year-and-a-half. Now is the victory. I feel so excited,” said Isabel Valverde, a union member in Broomfield and part of the bargaining team. “It will be a big change for those thousands of employees. It’s a big change.”

The contract will apply to more than 2,000 of Local 103’s members that work for 27 cleaning companies in 180 buildings across the metro area, according to union statistics. The new contract will put employees on the path to reach $15 an hour by 2020. The old contract from 2012, which was set to expire, had employees making between $9.60 and $12.60 an hour.

While official negotiations had been in the works for only several weeks, the union had been working for more than a year to get public support, tapping into the national movement to increase the federal minimum wage.

“It took an enormous effort from our members with demonstrations and rallies and organizing and the community and political support to show the contractors and building owners that our members were serious about this goal of achieving a path to $15,” said Ron Ruggiero, president of SEIU Local 105. “The national Fight for $15 movement that was launched a few years ago has built enormous momentum across the country where millions of workers have gotten raises, many having won $15 an hour. It has absolutely created this environment where people understand the struggles that low wage folks have paying their bills.”

Denver City Council on Monday issued a unanimous proclamation supporting the union and the “Justice for Janitors” movement. The proclamation was moved by Council member Paul López, who during Monday night’s meeting talked about his own father’s work as a janitor and the movement to afford families like his a stable life. Multiple members of city council spoke as well about the need for a minimum wage increase for low wage workers.

Several lawmakers were in the crowd of marchers Thursday cheering the win including Reps. Susan Lontine (D-Denver) and Jessie Danielson (D-Wheat Ridge). After the rally, Danielson told The Statesman she was excited to see the result of the contract negotiation for the workers and for the fight to get Colorado to increase the minimum wage to $12 by 2020 through the ballot this November.

“This is a huge victory for these hard-working janitors across the city. They finally got a contact that works for them and lets them earn a living wage and today is all about celebration,” Danielson said. “I think the fight for $15 is something most people support. So if this kind of victory gives attention to the issue and provides more momentum behind the ballot initiative, it’s a good thing for everybody.”

-Ramsey@coloradostatesman.com