Strike averted after doormen, owners reach agreement

Doormen and other building workers will not strike after their union reached an agreement with building owners just after the midnight deadline early this morning, the union said.

The four-year accord, which the union said comes with a nearly 10 percent wage increase and maintains health care benefits, is also good news for brokers who worried that a strike could have derailed open houses or showings for desirable listings.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg hailed the deal. “Tonight’s agreement is great news for 30,000 service professionals, thousands of the city’s building owners, and hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers that might have been affected by a strike,” he said.

The agreement between SEIU and the Realty Advisory Board must be ratified by the union membership and the RAB’s board. Among other components, the union said the deal increases employer contributions to health care by nearly 20 percent — or $182 million — and pensions. TRD