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Giuliani Livid Over Bringing 9/11 Trials to NYC
Remember the Transit Strike of 2005? That was fun, wasn't it? OK, well, we had a good time, which is why we are totally pumped over the possibilty that there might be a doorman strike come April 20. Of course, it helps our excitment that we've never lived in a doorman building...
Anywho, Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, which represents 28,000 residential doormen in the city in more than 3,500 apartment buildings, rejected a new contract proposal yesterday that would have had employee's paying %15 of their health care premiums each year instead of the nothing they pay under their current contract. The union really didn't like this propsed change and wants everyone to know it. "Make no mistake, Local 32BJ is prepared to strike if the multibillion-dollar real estate industry refuses to provide building service workers the health care coverage, wages and pension they need to make ends meet," according to union President Mike Fishman.
In case you were curious, 32BJ building workers are "the highest paid in the country, with an average wage of $17.94 an hour or roughtly $37,000 a year."
Anyway, we've got a while until April 20 and this story is just beginning. So let's all just sit back and giggle over the idea of the Upper East Side without doormen!
Meanwhile, a TWU update: Just as spring sprung this week, the MTA struck back. Transit workers looking at the pay stubs they receive today and wondering where all their money went should look just beneath the Social Security and Medicare deductions for a deduction marked "Taylor Law," that'd be where their money went. The amount deducted this month is half of the total fine for days not worked. The second half of the fine will come next month. As for a new contract, the state's Public Employement Relations Board will decide today whether to "postpone arbitation until after the union re-votes on the contract members rejected by serven votes in January." Which is to say we should find out soon, and of course we'll let you know as soon as we hear. UPDATE: Looks like it is going to be binding arbitration after all.
Doorman from minusbaby's flickr stream.
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April 20 is my birthday, woo hoo! The thought of the city's wealthy being without their precious doormen... fills my cold, cruel heart with joy.
32B/J isn't just the doormen's union -- it represents all apartment workers including supers & porters. My complex doesn't have doormen, but we have 4 supers and 5 porters, and I'd sure hate to be without them.
That said, I'm not sure if only the doormen would strike or if the entire union would.
Go ahead and strike. I know plenty of people who'd love to have those jobs.
Call me low class. I'd never move into a building with a doorman. It smacks of elitism to me. I spent all my life in high-rises and small buildings without doormen. I can easily do without, unlike my friends who whine about not being complete if there aren't doormen around to help them with the groceries. Boo hoo.
I never saw the wisdom of having a doorman until now. I have an unpredictable job that keeps me at the office until all hours of the night (lawyer) and I would absolutely love to have somebody responsible for leaving/picking up my laundry/dry-cleaning, being there to let Fresh Direct or a cleaning person in, etc. Having to be on-site to get anything like that done is a huge pain in the ass for some people. I guess it's elite, in a sense, but it's really hard to manage day-to-day tasks when you're at the office from 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. routinely. Now, I live in the outer reaches of Brooklyn where everything closes at 7:30 and it's pretty much impossible to get any of those things done without taking the day off.
My plug for having a doorman.
they all strike. and the "elite" take turns minding the door themselves...
What? No 4/20 jokes? :)
I have 8 doormen, 2 porters and 1 superintendent in my building (the doormen and porters have rotating shifts). Four of them are worth saving. The rest are a bunch of whiny, lazy assholes.
They're in a union that protects their jobs (they all get paid fairly well, for doormen), but yet expect a tip at the end of the year, minimum $10 each per apt. Here's the breakdown: that's $80 for the doormen, $20 for the porters and another $10 for the super (who does less than nothing, unless you grease him everytime you need something done (at least $5)). In all, each apt. at a minimum must shell out $110.00 around Christmas. There are 280 apartments in my building which means each doorman theoretically walks home with $30,800 extra dollars (bonus) every year. (my guess is that each guy in theory gets a 50–60% bonus based against their salary.
I do tip them, but not the same. Some get a lot less than others, some, this year, nothing at al. Some get cash, scotch and a bag of greens, they're the ones that say hello, greet me in the morning, open the door for me and for my fellow neighbors (including the elderly), hail cabs, and treat everyone as fairly as they can, these are the ones who I can call during the day and ask them if the mail has come and if I received anything (my building still has the doormen handing out the mail, and up until a few years ago, a manual elevator; old world charm). Some of these guys sit on their asses for 8 hours, do nothing and watch an old man or woman struggle to open the door. The guys who deserve tips and raises should and will get them with my support. But the guys who don't I would gladly love to see them replaced. So if they strike, good riddance.
ugh stop writing over the pictures. it looks tacky and undermines the credibility you (sometimes) deserve.
leave it for perez hilton, it doesn't belong on a news site.
If they go on strike, they put up signs on buildings saying "You're opening this door yourself so they can retire at 50". Man, a lot of Upper East Siders are going to lose their shit!
Samantha T.,
Funny thing, one of the friends who complained about not having a doorman anymore is also now in Brooklyn. The right solution, if you ask me, is not to have a doorman, but rather to have a family, or at least a significant other willing to do those things for you. Besides, can't you drop off and pick up dry cleaning near work? I haven't looked them up, but aren't there services that will pickup and deliver your dry cleaning at your office?
Tank, I think your math is wrong. That $30,800 would be for the entire staff. At $10 each from 280 apartments, each worker would only get $2800, which isn't all that impressive a figure. Not that I'd turn down $2800 if someone offered it to me around Christmas.
First off, who tips $10, they get far more per tip. Second, no one is going to swallow even higher maintenance charges every month. Give me a break. Between the huge tax increases latelym the special maintenance charges for fuel and other employee costs already... enough! IF you want to strike, please do us all a favor and just quit, I'm sure such a skilled job can still be filled at 1/4 of the current cost. We need to get these unions under control. ugh!
Wow, good point, Brightliner! I'm gonna go out and get me a significant other AND an entire family willing to do those things for me (for free) first thing tomorrow!
Brightliner, you actually hit the nail on the head in that I've often said that I need a wife (I'm female). My fiance and I live apart and I realize as I get older that a huge part of personal and professional success is to have somebody with time on their hands who is willing to clean up after you and do your errands. I can't even imagine going home late at night and having my bills paid, my laundry done, my apartment cleaned, etc.
brightliner you're right, i was at work all day and quickly calculating in my head... my bad. $10 WAS AN AVERAGE i picked out. persoanlly, to those who deserve more i tip more, accordingly. i also tip throughout the year for basic things like fixing bathroom stff and doing general fix-its in my apt. however, these guys are bitching far too much about their jobs. and also not wanting to chip in to their healthcare is crap as well, this isn't the 1970's.
I guess whoever can't afford to paid, they are not deserve to live in a doorman building. You want the services, but you don't want to pay. I hope no burglary or other bad things will happen if the doormen have strike.
Most of you have no idea what you are talking about. Obviously you haven't read anything about why they are being forced to go on strike - what is being taken away from them or what will be hurting them in the future. Not only doorman are going on strike. It is every person that is a part of the union which includes the maintenance people who work every day in your building. So, to the people who are saying boo hoo people have to open their own doors - that's not even close to the only thing that would happen if the union people didn't work. And you think $37,000 is a good salary in NY? Try paying a mortgage with that or feeding a family or living in a decent neighborhood.