Contract Talks With Service Employees Are “Productive”

After three negotiating sessions between building owners and unionized service employees, there is an air of optimism that once again a contract will be worked out and a walkout will be avoided. The current four-year contract expires April 20. 

“Negotiations are continuing to move forward productively,” says Howard Rothschild, president of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, which negotiates on behalf of building owners, including co-op and condo boards. “With four weeks to go, we continue to make progress towards reaching a fair contract for both sides. We look forward to coming to agreement on future wages and benefits, which will keep our employees among the highest compensated residential building service workers in the country.”

The current labor agreement covers more than 30,000 residential building service workers who belong to the Service Employees International Union’s local 32BJ, including doormen, porters, handypersons and building superintendents, in more than 3,000 residential buildings throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. The last strike by 32BJ was in 1991.

The cost to employer for an average doorman or porter’s wages and benefits is more than $85,000; for a handyperson, it’s more than $91,000. All employees receive benefits packages including full family health insurance covering medical, dental, optical and prescription drug coverage, with no premium contribution from the employee. All workers also receive a defined benefit pension fund and 401K annuity with an employer contribution, training and legal benefits, and they have up to 49 paid days off for holiday, vacation, sick and medical time. 

In Westchester County, the current 32BJ contract expires September 30. “We’re in the informational stages now,” says Brian Scally, director of management at Garthchester Realty and a member of the negotiating team for the Building and Realty Institute of Westchester and the Mid-Hudson Region. “We’ll start negotiating in late July, early August.”