Living Wage for AAATA Janitorial Services

A renewal of the contract for janitorial services with JNS Commercial Cleaning has triggered application of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority’s two-and-a-half-year-old living wage policy.

The impact of the living wage policy, together with additional bi-weekly floor care services at the AAATA headquarters, will increase the annual value of the contract from $72,000 annually to $102,000. The three-year contract with JNS had already been authorized by the AAATA board at its Dec. 16, 2010 meeting, with up to two one-year renewals. However, the amount of the increase connected to the one-year extension, with a remaining one-year renewal option, is 42% – which exceeds the 10% increase threshold for board approval specified in the AAATA’s procurement policies.

AAATA board action authorizing the contract extension with JNS came at its Dec. 19, 2013 meeting. The janitorial contract covers cleaning at the Blake Transit Center, the Ypsilanti Transit Center and the AAATA headquarters on South Industrial.

The AAATA’s living wage policy mirrors that of the city of Ann Arbor, which requires that contractors pay their workers at least $13.96 per hour if they don’t provide health care benefits and at least $12.52 per hour if they do provide health care benefits. The AAATA board adopted the living wage policy at its June 16, 2011 meeting.

This brief was filed from the downtown location of the Ann Arbor District Library at 343 S. Fifth Ave., where the AAATA board holds its meetings. A more detailed report will follow: [link]