The union representing thousands of New York City residential building workers voted Wednesday to authorize a strike, putting more than 34,000 doormen, doormen and women, supers, porters and other workers with 32BJ in position to walk off the job as soon as next Tuesday.
The possible work stoppage could touch more than a million New Yorkers across thousands of buildings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. More than 1,000 residential building workers rallied along Park Avenue on the Upper East Side before the vote, turning the city’s most visible address into a show of force over a contract fight that has now become a countdown.
32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich said, “Today, we took over Park Avenue with our allies, including Mayor Mamdani, with a clear message: we are united and 10,000 strong in our demand for a fair union contract.” Mayor Zohran Mamdani added, “Let us prove, not just to this city, but to the world what solidarity looks like.”
The dispute is with the Realty Advisory Board, which represents New York City building owners, and the main sticking points are wages and health care. Under the current four-year deal, members have full family coverage and do not contribute money to the health care plan. The board said the average door person makes about $62,000 a year and costs employers more than $112,000, partly because of health care, and warned that “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.”
That gap is what gives the vote its weight. Adam Martinez told the crowd, “You want to take our healthcare, you want to split us, divide and conquer, you want to make a two-tier work system? Why? Why are you trying to cut corners on us? We don't cut corners with you.” Michael Van Tassel said, “We want fair wages. We don't want to give anything back. We can't afford to live here.” Adam Riles, who said, “I always wanted to be a part of a union,” stood among workers who are now preparing for a strike vote and rally that come every four years, with many residents already making contingency plans.
That leaves the city in a familiar but serious place: one of its largest building-worker unions has voted to put a walkout on the table, and the decision now sits with the two sides that still have to make a deal before next Tuesday.