‘We are united and ready to fight’
New York, NY – Today at 7AM, six workers who run the luxury Jardim condo building on 527 West 27th St. went out on a 24-hour strike to protest their employer’s unilateral cancellation of workers’ health insurance in December without notice. Their union, 32BJ SEIU, has filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) challenging the employer’s actions. In the midst of bargaining a first union contract at the building, workers suddenly found themselves without access to the critical health care that they need. Workers remain without health insurance or a union contract.
Workers have been fighting for a fair contract ever since they and 32BJ SEIU won a union election at the building with the NLRB on December 30, 2022. Through fights like this, over the last five years, 32BJ has organized 2,614 new workers into its New York Metro Residential division.
The Jardim building, which recently transitioned to an independent board from former sponsor Centaur Properties, is taking the NYC Cooperative and Condominium Tax Abatement which requires ownership to follow the prevailing wage schedule set by the NYC comptroller. Workers at the building have been concerned for some time now with the inadequate health coverage they were receiving from the building.
“Canceling workers’ health benefits in the middle of bargaining is a clear violation of collective bargaining rights. We stand with the brave workers at Jardim and will fight to defend their rights. The building board needs to immediately reinstate their health benefits,” said 32BJ Vice President Kevin Stavris, Director of the New York Metro Residential Division.
“It has been over a year since we organized our union, and in the middle of bargaining they just took away our healthcare without telling us. We’re not going to let them treat us like that. That’s a violation of our rights as workers. I had a wrist surgery scheduled, but was called by the doctors office and informed I no longer had health insurance. That’s how I found out! We are fighting for a brighter future, for quality, affordable benefits and wages that we can support our families on – because it is too damn hard for working people these days. I haven’t had a raise in over four years. We demand that our rights at the bargaining table be respected and our health insurance reinstated. With no insurance, my wife and I have been forced to pay out of pocket for healthcare. We can’t afford that. I work 48 hours/week at this job and pick up another 24-28 hours at a second job to pay the bills,” said Day Concierge Peter Polizzi, 66, who has worked at the building for 4.5 years.
“I work two full time jobs to get by in this city. I’m excited to be part of this effort to win a union contract. But it’s not right how they canceled our health insurance like that, right in the middle of bargaining. We do have rights as workers and we’re striking to make sure those rights are honored,” said Concierge Travis Williams, 40, who has worked at the building for four months.
“I support my wife and three kids. It’s a struggle. It’s not right how they cut our health insurance after we unionized. When I went to the doctor for a cut to my hand I got at work, I was told straight up that I didn’t have health insurance. I chose to forgo the medical care because I just could not afford it. We demand they honor the bargaining process and our rights. We are united and ready to fight,” said Porter/Handyman Adis Feratovic, 39, who has worked at the building for 1.5 years.
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With more than 175,000 members in 12 states, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country. 32BJ SEIU represents over 80,000 building service workers in NYC, including 32,000 residential building workers.