Overview
- 32BJ SEIU members authorized a strike Wednesday, clearing a walkout that could start when the contract expires at midnight Monday.
- The vote covers about 34,000 doormen, porters, superintendents and other staff who serve thousands of buildings and roughly 1.5 million residents citywide.
- Negotiators are split over pay, pensions and health care, with building owners seeking worker premium payments and a lower‑paid Tier II for new hires while the union pushes for raises and fully employer‑paid coverage.
- The Realty Advisory Board says a typical doorperson earns about $62,000 and total employer costs near $112,000, and it cites pressure from a potential rent freeze on stabilized units.
- Elected officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin, joined a Park Avenue rally, as buildings ask residents to limit trash, volunteer for lobby duties and handle deliveries, recalling the last strike in 1991 that lasted 12 days.