The union representing about 20,000 New York City cleaning and custodial workers says it’s ready to go on strike if it can’t secure higher pay and pension improvements by New Year’s Eve.
Manny Pastreich, president of Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, said contract negotiators have made little progress since beginning talks with the Reality Board on Labor Relations in November. The union said it represents cleaning staff in more than 1,300 buildings across New York City.
If the negotiators can’t reach an agreement, the union will likely declare a strike on New Year’s Eve, when the current contract expires, union spokesperson Simon Davis-Cohen said.
The two sides began negotiating Nov. 9, when 32BJ proposed an increase in wages and pension improvements. But the union said in a statement that counteroffers from the realty board included “making members pay for their life-saving health insurance,” “cuts to vacation” and “eliminating overtime wages after eight hours.”
“There’s been basically limited to no progress over the month-and-a-half that we’ve been bargaining. We’re now four days away from expiration,” Pastreich said in between contract negotiation sessions on Wednesday.
Howard Rothschild, president of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, said in a statement the group is “prepared to put in the hard work to reach a contract that ensures the survival of industry and safeguards our workforce.” The Realty Board negotiates on behalf of buildings’ owners and operators.
But he stressed the economic difficulties the realty industry experienced in the pandemic, including rising office vacancy rates and declining rents. And he said union members, in their current contract negotiated in 2019, receive “top-of-the-line” benefits that include full family health insurance with no premiums from employees, a defined benefit pension fund, 401(k) contributions and 49 paid days off.
“With office vacancies at…
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