UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) — The union representing thousands of New York City residential building workers reached a tentative agreement with the Realty Advisory Board on Friday that would avert a strike.
More than 34,000 doormen and women, supers, porters and other workers with 32BJ were set to walk off the job as soon as next Tuesday, which would have impacted more than a million New Yorkers across thousands of buildings.
Both sides called the tentative agreement a win, but the building workers themselves who were threatening the strike, do appear to have won on every important front, including landing a new four-year contract that gives them a $4.50 hourly wage increase, a 15% increase on their pensions and healthcare benefits fully paid by their employers, which will remain intact with no premium sharing.
Before the tentative agreement was reached, 32BJ had authorized a strike on Wednesday, and had some powerful people backing them, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
As for the Realty Advisory Board, which represents New York City building owners, they said they were able to come up with creative solutions to save money without hurting their workers, like a health fund holiday which would provide a temporary break for the employers, which in this case, pay their employees premiums.
“This agreement reflects the economic realities facing the residential real estate sector, including the likelihood of 0% rent increases on stabilized units, regulatory overreach, and escalating operating costs for co-ops and condos,” said Howard Rothschild, President of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations. “Amid these headwinds, we are proud to have reached a fair agreement that supports both the industry and its valued workers.”
The board had insisted that the model for members having full family coverage wasn’t sustainable, pointing out the average door person makes about $62,000 a year, but costs employers more than $112,000, partly because of healthcare.
The board had also pointed to the possibility of a rent freeze in rent-stabilized buildings, saying, “Without meaningful movement to address costs, including healthcare contributions and the establishment of a Tier II structure, the long-term sustainability of the industry and its workforce is at risk.”
The last strike was in 1991 when building workers were off the job for a total of 12 days.
WATCH | The Vault: Eyewitness News coverage of 1991 building workers strike
A look back at Eyewitness News coverage of the 1991 building workers’ strike.
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