OHSU’s Latest Investment in Sustainabilty: Training Frontline Workers as Green Janitors
Fourteen ABM janitors who clean Oregon Health Sciences University’s medical education buildings graduated in February at a ceremony including the graduates, leaders from SEIU Local 49, City of Portland Councilors Angelita Morillo and Steve Novick, ABM executives, and the U.S. Green Building Council. The ceremony was held at the LEED Platinum-certified Robertson Life Sciences Building in Portland’s South Waterfront.
The Green Janitor Health Certification Program provides comprehensive training to janitorial staff about practices that meet the latest energy, water, and green initiative standards. It covers topics like energy efficiency, recycling, waste management, water conservation, and more.
Through this program, janitors are encouraged to take part in the building’s goals of improving energy efficiency and building health. This means sharing recommendations on improvements to their worksites, such as using more environmentally friendly cleaning products, materials, or equipment, and suggesting other ways to carry out the best green practices in their daily work.
The program is truly a win-win for building owners and for union janitors. Building owners can offer tenants their participation in the program as a distinct selling point—an additional amenity that saves money and helps meet corporate social responsibility goals. Additionally, buildings receive an additional point on LEED certification once janitors have graduated from the program.
Janitors learn valuable new skills, earn a grant-funded training premium, and those who complete the 30-hour program obtain a certification and have the potential to earn higher wages.
Most importantly, the program gets results: Past studies have found that buildings who participated in the program used 5.6% less electricity than buildings that did not, and 76% of buildings that participated saw a reduction in electricity and water usage.
This program is a partnership between SEIU Local 49, the SEIU Education & Support Fund, and the U.S. Green Building Council. Currently, the Green Janitor program is only available to buildings and janitorial contractors with workers covered under bargaining agreements with SEIU Local 49. With greater investment from additional building owners committed to green practices, we look forward to expanding the Green Janitor program and help restore and reimagine Portland’s place as a destination for business.
