Potential Strike Authorized For 20,000 NYC Commercial Cleaners

10,000 essential workers rallied with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Attorney General Letitia James, Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, NYC Central Labor Council, UAW Region 9A, and others

 32BJ bargaining committee now authorized to call industry-wide strike if negotiations fail to secure strong contract by Dec. 31

Pop-up strike preparation actions to take place daily.

New York, NY – Today, December 20, an estimated 10,000 32BJ SEIU members rallied at 6th Ave & 50th St. to demand that the Realty Advisory Board agree to a new contract for 20,000 commercial cleaners, porters and handypersons across the city that includes fair wage increases, fully employer-paid health care for families and no cuts to job protections after essential cleaners demonstrated their commitment and service during the pandemic. Building workers voted to give the bargaining committee the power to call for a strike, if they decide it becomes necessary. A strike, if one occurs, would affect 1,300 buildings.

At the rally, workers were joined by leading elected officials and top labor leaders including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Attorney General Letitia James, Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander, President of the New York City Central Labor Council Vinnie Alvarez, Executive Director of UAW Region 9A Brandon Mancilla, among others.

“Our members need to move forward, not backwards – they need wage increases that allow them to pay for rising rents, the rising cost of transportation, the rising cost of everything. We are demanding that we have health insurance we can count on and can afford. We are demanding pension improvements. We are going to make sure these contractors can’t attack our jobs. We have had four bargaining sessions and made zero progress. Time is running short for the RAB to make a deal,” said 32BJ President Manny Pastreich.

“We were designated as essential workers at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. My dad and I were forced to work despite the unknown risks at the time, because our buildings and the city needed us. My dad got COVID, and we lost him to the virus. He is fighting with me in this contract fight. When I went back to work, I was terrified of bringing the virus home to my family and two kids. The RAB wants to say our jobs are less needed than they were before COVID. Then why was I asked to work overtime at the height of the pandemic? Why did we risk our lives? What more do they want from us? We will not relinquish our dignity. We will strike if it comes to that. Give us the wages we deserve and keep your hands off our benefits and labor protections,” said Dulce Martinez, 18-year commercial cleaner (2 Broadway).

“I’m a strike captain. I’ve spent half my life as a 32BJ commercial member. And right now I am angry! The RAB proposals put our ability to take care of our families at risk. We are talking about 20,000 working families’ livelihoods at stake! More of us could be forced to move out of the city. More of us would have to choose between our health and paying rent. More of us could be forced to take second jobs! The RAB talks about their trillions of dollars – while we’re talking about how we’re going to pay our bills,” said Godwin Dillon, 20-year commercial cleaner (85 Broad St).

“Hardworking New Yorkers deserve fair pay, good benefits, and true appreciation for their efforts. As commercial cleaners seek to secure a contract, it is important that we all recognize their invaluable contributions to our city, as well as the essential role they played during and following the COVID pandemic. I am proud to stand with these New Yorkers and support their fight for recognition and an equitable contract,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.

RAB proposals include:

• Making members pay for their life-saving health insurance (healthcare premium sharing).
• A permanent second tier workforce that would lock in substandard wages and benefits for new hires.
• Unnecessary cuts to labor protections and fairness in the workplace that ignore how the existing contract already allows for reduction in the workforce when vacancies increase, as has been demonstrated over the last three years.
• Cuts to paid sick days and vacation.
• Eliminating overtime wages after 8 hours.

The RAB claims impacts to the industry during the pandemic justify gutting the existing labor contract. Their demands for “flexibility” ignore how the existing contract permitted employers to eliminate 2,000 positions to account for increased office vacancies.

Workers are fighting for their first contract since COVID and seek wage increases that keep up with the cost of living, the protection of life-saving health care benefits and other labor standards that have lifted thousands of NYC working class and immigrant families toward the middle class.

The contract covers large commercial office buildings like One Vanderbilt and World Trade Center; tourist attractions and public spaces like the Empire State Building Observatory, Top of the Rock, The Edge at Hudson Yards, World Trade Observatory; museums like MoMA; new commercial developments like Hudson Yards; universities like NYU, Pace, Long Island University and St. John’s University; transportation hubs like Grand Central, Penn Station and Port Authority; biotech labs; and more.

To view the livestream click here: https://www.facebook.com/32BJSEIU/ 

To access photos click here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/rohapxjo31dve3ut2qtb4/h?rlkey=pflih492t5kctgux34e86odk5&dl=0 

Recent press releases: 

12/12: https://www.seiu32bj.org/press-release/nyc-commercial-contract-strike-plans/ 

11/30: https://www.seiu32bj.org/press-release/nyc-council-speaker-commercial-cleaners/ 

11/28: https://www.seiu32bj.org/press-release/insulting-real-estate-industry-nyc/

11/9: https://www.seiu32bj.org/press-release/nyc-rally-negotiation-launch/

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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 20,000 commercial office cleaners. 32BJ SEIU members hail from 64 different countries and speak 28 different languages.