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City building workers may be headed for strike

By David Freedlander, amNewYork Staff Writer | dfreedlander@am-ny.com

December 28, 2007

Office workers accustomed to spic-and-span cubicles may be in for a shock next week if office-building owners and service workers aren't able to iron out their contract dispute.

Talk between the Realty Advisory Board and the Local 32BJ have been dragging on since October as the two sides are trying to extend a contract that is set to expire New Year's Eve.

A strike would affect more than 90% of the city's top tier, or Class A, office buildings. In total, more than 2,000 buildings would go without janitors, doormen and elevator operators.

"We work at night cleaning and maintaining office buildings," said Hector Figueroa, the secretary-treasurer of the 26,000-member union. "We are fighting for what our members deserve, which is to be able to afford to live in the city that we work."

Union members want wage increases that reflect the increase in rents and property values that building owners have seen. They make an average of $40,000 a year in wages, or $55,000 including benefits.

"The industry could afford to pay our members better," Figueroa said. "We just want our share."

The president of the building owners group disputed the notion that workers were being treated unfairly.

"Our proposal must be looked at as a package, not just wages alone. It includes pension, health, vacation and other benefits," said James Berg, president of the Realty Advisory Board. "Workers in Local 32BJ are already the best-compensated building service workers in the nation."

The group last held in a strike in 1996.

"Our goal is to not strike," said Figueroa. But, he added, "We're going take this message to the streets so that New Yorkers will understand what this fight is all about."