Doormen Will March for Better Contract

As the possible doorman strike looms over the city, doormen are taking to the streets before their contract runs out on April 21. The "March and Rally for A New Contract for NYC Apartment Building Workers" will take place tomorrow at 79th and 5th, from where marchers will head to 83rd and Park to rally. A press release from Union 32BJ representative Kwame Patterson said, "In the event of a strike, more than one million New York City apartment, co-op and condominium residents living in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island would be directly affected."

Union officers, politicians and workers like 32BJ president Mike Fishman and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio will address the crowd during the rally to demand better wages and health benefits. Up to 10,000 workers may be present for the rally, which will start around 5 p.m. Though they've threatened before, unionized doormen have not striked since 1991. President Mike Fishman said, "Tuesday’s rally will show we’re determined to keep our city a place that working families can afford to call home. The hard working New Yorkers who keep our buildings running well, and New Yorkers safe and comfortable, should be able to live in the city where they work."

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By Jaya Saxena in News on April 12, 2010 5:45 PM

Comments [rss]

jgonzz

I was talking to a casual friend of mine who is in this 'doorman union'. He said that he pays about $100 a month for his union dues and this included his health insurance. They want the workers to start paying 10% of their health insurance, its 0% currently. I told him that a 10% bump seemed reasonable. He was kinda' pissed about this. Even after explaining to him that insurance alone is usually $400+ a month, he still 'didn't get it'..

Powerhugs

As far as I'm concerned these people are either too stupid or lazy to go out and get a real job....and they need a Corrupt Union like 32B-J to blackmail real estate owners..

supeman11

to powerhugs and the rest of the posters - the realty board wants to cut doormen sick days as well as vacation time, decrease job security, and make new employees wait 5 years before getting full pay. sound like a fair deal to you...nope.

you people who think doormen just sit down all day are idiots, im very sorry but its true. you make yourself soun very uneducated with such comments.

fuboy

Please, then, tell me what the duties of a doorman entails.

I don't have a doorman in my building, happy about that fact, and have no sympathy for these people. If you can give me a better understanding of their position and how a doorman could benefit me beyond opening a door, I'd be more that happy to hear it.

Bizzle

"... residents living in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island would be directly affected." Wait...Staten Islanders have doormen? Really!?!?! Of the usual mundane Staten Island jokes... how did this one get missed? C'mon Gothamist commenters....step up!

ed_Extinct

Raises for people who do more sitting than opening doors. When they get raises our rent goes up and then we have to tip these guys? Are you kidding? Full salries plus benefits!

Tips are for people with no unions and getting paid under minimum wage—waiters, bartenders, and cab drivers.

This whole bullshit society of tipping everyone needs to stop. Who the fuck tips me for a job well done?

mtauser

Google and JetBlue, two amazing companies which have grown successfully have no union employees. To boot, humans consume Google resources at record rates, and there is no fee charged to consumers.

Yet my building maintanence staff has had some union employees who aren't as good as they should be and they keep finding ways to increase the maintanence fees and the increased fees are not justified for what they do.

We need union buster politicians to prevent these senarios from happening in the first place. The building has some nerve to ask for volunteers to do basic chores when we pay way enough maintanence fees for and fees which are constantly extorted from tenants.

We need to bust the unions and if it was up to me, I would fire ALL UNION EMPLOYEES who go on strike and replace with non unionized workers.

Also employees should NOT be forced to pay union dues or join unions if they do not want to. That is just plain wrong.

longacre

The doormen's union is backed by Russian organized crime...no one is busting them.

Mr Mel

Where did you hear that one?

NannyState

Buy gloves.

mo

the unions have to realize that the money is not there for raises. In most non union jobs raises have been skipped for 2 years now.people are paying a bigger % of the medical insurance premiums.the unions act spoiled they do not know how good they have it .