Published: March 9, 2010

 Building Owners See 28% Rise in Property Value While Building Workers Face 11% Rise in Cost of Living Over the Same Period of Time -

- Strike Could Directly Affect More Than Three Thousand Apartment Buildings, Coops and Condos and One Million Residents -

NEW YORK, March 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Negotiations for a new, multi-year contract began today between the Realty Advisory Board (RAB), an industry association representing most building owners in New York City and 32BJ SEIU, the largest private sector union in New York. The contract covers 30,000 doormen, superintendents, resident managers, handymen, concierges and porters working at apartment buildings throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.
"The workers who keep apartment buildings running well and residents safe should be able to make ends meet in our city," said Mike Fishman, President of 32BJ. "This campaign is about more than a new contract, it's about keeping our city a place that working families can still afford to call home."

Talks Focus on Wages, Health Care, Pensions and Training

Major issues include wage increases to keep up with the rising cost of living, maintaining affordable family health care and ensuring adequate funds for training and retirement. In an effort to lower building operating costs, the union is encouraging employers to participate in a new "Green Buildings" training program.  "Building owners and managers will benefit from lower operating costs when building workers are trained in state of the art energy efficiency practices," said Kyle Bragg, 32BJ Vice President for Residential Building Service Workers.

"A contract that fairly addresses the needs of workers is in everyone's best interests," said Bragg. "Building owners, managers and residents all benefit from a professional, skilled and stable workforce that has demonstrated its reliability and loyalty over the years."  

Hard to Get By on $40K a Year in NYC

"Working families like mine are being pushed out of the city," said Felicia Estrada, a door attendant in Washington Heights.

In the four years since the last contract, the consumer price index (CPI) in the New York City area has jumped 11.3%.  The cost of milk and other everyday items is up more than 10%.

"Apartment building workers and working New Yorkers should be able to live in the city where they work," Bragg said. "Because working families are an indispensable part of our economy and neighborhoods, we must make sure the city remains affordable to all New Yorkers."