Harvard Agrees to Increase Pay for Janitors

Harvard University has averted a strike by its janitors by agreeing to give them a 12.5 percent raise over the course of a four-year contract, The Boston Globe reported. The agreement came after a lengthy negotiating session, with the threat of a strike pending. The union is affiliated with Service Employees International Union. The deal -- which still must be ratified -- also calls for increases in the percentage of janitors who have full-time jobs. Currently that percentage is 70 percent.