It is not unusual for 32BJ SEIU to authorize a strike. But 11 days from their deadline, property owners and union office cleaners are still not seeing eye-to-eye.
As part of contract negotiations, 32BJ SEIU typically holds a rally and then votes to authorize a strike, in the event that it cannot reach a deal with the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations.
The last time the union’s contract for office cleaners expired in 2019, the union authorized a strike but ultimately avoided one. At the time, RAB President Howard Rothschild said the authorization was just a matter of course and that negotiations were continuing productively.
This time, he struck a different note.
“The RAB stands ready to continue the hard work with the union to reach a new collective bargaining agreement that reflects the horrible economic conditions RAB members face,” he said in a statement after a strike was authorized Wednesday. “The current labor agreements contain health care provisions and unsustainable work rules that do not exist in any other major city in the country nor in other 32BJ contracts outside New York City.”
The union is fighting for wage increases and to maintain a rare health benefit: Workers do not contribute to their insurance premiums. The RAB is asking workers to start doing so. The owners also want to create a new, lower-paid worker tier. The landlord group called for nearly identical changes last time around, but those provisions were dropped.
That was before Covid and the explosion of remote work.
Now, given vacancies in office buildings and the state of the office market, RAB seems less willing to budge.
The union’s contract expires Dec. 31.
What we’re thinking about: Why did Santander Bank want a chunk of Signature Bank’s multifamily debt? How active is Santander in NYC? Send a note to kathryn@therealdeal.com.
A thing we’ve learned: New York’s population fell by nearly 102,000 between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023, according to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. The number of residents who moved to other states totaled 216,778, an improvement from 298,341 the year before, according to Newsday. Thank you to Erik Engquist for passing along!
Elsewhere in New York…
— The most borrowed books from city libraries were authored by women, Gothamist reports. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus was checked out the most this year.
— One Brooklyn Health board members Maurice Reid and Annette Robinson are suing chair Alexander Rovt over the ouster of CEO LaRay Brown, Politico New York reports. The lawsuit accuses Rovt of creating a “fiefdom” among board members and “lavishing expensive perks” on them. The complaint also accuses Rovt of making “reckless” and false statements about Brown during an interview with Politico in September.
— With a veto-proof majority, the City Council on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban solitary confinement in most cases and require NYPD officers to report data on low-level investigative encounters with civilians, City & State reports. Mayor Eric Adams opposed both bills and indicated that he would not sign the data-collection bill. It is not clear, however, if he will veto either measure.
Closing Time
Residential: The priciest residential closing Wednesday was $10.5 million for a condo at 25 Central Park West.
Commercial: The most expensive commercial closing of the day was $12 million for a four-story, mixed-use building at 218 Madison Avenue in Midtown South.
New to the Market: The priciest residence to hit the market Wednesday was a condo at 845 United Nations Plaza in Turtle Bay asking $3.2 million. Smart City Real Estate has the listing.
— Jay Young