The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly upended New York’s housing industry and its workforce, and it’s becoming a key factor in how expiring pre-pandemic contracts and bargaining agreements are being renegotiated.
Bronx residential building workers — a workforce that includes thousands of doorpeople, handypersons, superintendents and porters — had become essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they address daily housing issues for Bronxites.
According to Anthony Renne, a doorman at 5900 Arlington Ave. in North Riverdale, his job changed drastically from front desk work to the sanitization and disinfection of building surfaces and incoming packages among other duties, amid high risk to contract the virus due to his immunocompromised status.
“I have an underlying heart issue that I take medication for. It was scary being on the front desk all the time, I was exposed to so many people. We tragically had some residents pass away from COVID. The deliveries, we disinfected all the packages, doorknobs, it was crazy,” said Renne. “When residents got COVID, they couldn’t leave their apartments – so we delivered food to their door, because delivery people weren’t allowed in the building. Porters personally picked up their trash. We were always cleaning, keeping ourselves and residents safe. Masks, gloves. It was a tough time.”
Fast-forward three years, roughly 2,400 Bronx building service workers say their employers, Bronx Realty Advisory Board (BRAB), are attempting to “gut” their employer-paid health benefits in recent contract negotiations with the 32BJ SEIU bargaining committee.
Among a list of proposals floated by BRAB, is a plan to limit health coverage to 5 Star Centers, private practitioners that partner with 32BJ to provide quality care for members for $0 co-pays. Additionally, building service workers and their representing union said that BRAB has offered a separate contract for superintendents that would eliminate overtime,…
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