Officials from a union representing 7,000 office cleaners in New Jersey say they have ratified a new four-year contract agreement that boosts wages and protects health care benefits.

Kevin Brown, state director of Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, says the agreement raises wages by 13 percent over the life of the contract. And workers will continue receiving health care and other benefits.

The contract ratification was announced Tuesday night. Negotiations began in mid-October between the union and the New Jersey Contractors Association. The group of contract cleaning companies includes American Building Maintenance, ALLAN Industries, Bravo Building Services, CRI International, CRS Facility Services and ISS Facility Services.

The union represents 60,000 office cleaners in the Northeast.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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