UWS building tells landlord to ease restrictions on staff

Anthony Razzano, a resident of 698 West End Avenue, has spearheaded an effort in his building to give doormen and elevator operators the right to sit, rest and maybe even drink the occasional cup of coffee on the job, New York magazine reported.

Since landlord Heller Realty issued the decree against eating, drinking or sitting at any time during workers’ eight-hour shift, last month, Razzano has mobilized the residents of his building, at 94th Street, in solidarity with tired staff.

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New York magazine speculated that the landlord may be retaliating for the extended contract negotiations with SEIU 32BJ, the doormen and elevator operators’ union, which ended in October.

Residents of 698 West End Avenue tell New York magazine they are not just concerned for the staff’s health, but with what the lack of seating does to their performance and the “white-glove” feel of the building. “To take away the chair seems completely at odds with the image they like to portray,” one resident told New York magazine. [NYMag]