From left: Richard Grossman, Fred Peters, and Douglas Heddings

At Manhattan’s luxury buildings, doormen don’t just hold the doors — they hold the keys.

Which is why an impending strike, set to begin at midnight, could turn a lot of desirable listings into pumpkins, according to industry insiders. Without doormen, many apartments may be off limits.

So far, ongoing contract negotiations haven’t panned out between the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union, which represents around 30,000 building service workers, and the building owners’ Realty Advisory Board.

This has some in the industry nervous, according to Douglas Heddings, founder of Heddings Property Group, an affiliate of Charles Rutenberg Realty. Heddings said that the threat of a possible strike has emboldened many buyers to get in while they can.

“We have buyers now who are saying ‘I want to get in today,’ because they’re worried about having access tomorrow,” Heddings said. “Some buildings are prohibiting showings during the strike.” [more]

Seven thousand disgruntled New York City doormen and apartment building workers hit the streets last night, as the threat of a full-fledged strike loomed large, according to NY1. The workers’ union has given the Realty Advisory Board less than a week to agree to its terms (see an embedded audio story from WNYC above). The kerfuffle erupted between the two groups after the Realty Advisory Board made proposed contract changes including reduced vacation days and a mandate requiring them to pay for part of their insurance premiums. Yesterday’s march hit the Upper East Side, with workers striding down Park Avenue. [NY1] and