Sending drugs through the mail, not the best long-term drug smuggling method! A week after 35 pounds of coke was delivered (presumably mistakenly) to the United Nations, the DEA has started coming down on an allegedly mob-connected smuggling ring that used doormen in posh buildings to sign for their illicit deliveries. "It’s still an ongoing investigation—we’re still looking into it," a DEA agent told the Post. more ›

Last week, a Queens restaurant's workers were spotted illegally using public parking spaces on the street for the restaurant's valet parking. Now the NY Times sent a reporter to try to park her car in front of fancy apartment buildings, where doormen try to leave spots open so residents can get out of cabs or their own cars easily. Outside of a Fifth Avenue building, she was told by one doorman, "We have about 160 apartments, and you are inconveniencing them, and we have a lot of elderly people... [You] must not be from here." more ›

Now that the greedy doorman scandal has been busted wide open, the City Council is preparing legislation that would make it illegal for anyone to demand kickbacks for setting up cab fares. Under the scheme, doormen at hotels around the city would demand payments of $5 to $15 for shuttling guests to the airports, and would turn away drivers who refused to pay. City Council member James Vacca said, "It's unfair...Those who abuse that are wrong." more ›

Residents at over 3,200 buildings in New York City are probably breathing a sigh of relief, as there will be no doormen and building worker strike: The 30,000 apartment building workers and owners reached an agreement just after midnight. According to SEIU 32BJ, the "workers won a tentative four-year agreement early this morning that provides nearly 10% in wage increases, maintains fully employer-paid family health care coverage and keeps pension benefits secure." more ›

The 32 BJ building workers union and the Realty Advisory Board have been in accelerated contract negotiations since Thursday, but they are reportedly still "far apart" on ideas for the new contract. The current contract expires on April 21st, and if the two sides don't settle on things like wages, health care and sick days, more than 30,000 building workers across the city will strike. Howard Rothschild of the RAB told Businessweek they are "committed to negotiating continually—around the clock, if necessary—to reach an agreement before midnight Tuesday." more ›

After Monday's march down Park Avenue yielded no deals, the city's building workers are coming even closer to striking. The deadline for a new contract deal between the Realty Advisory Board and 32BJ is April 21st, and a strike of 30,000 workers would affect every borough except the Bronx. 32BJ Executive Vice President Kevin Doyle told NY1, "Unfortunately there's going to be an incredible disruption to the daily lives of the people of New York City. We want to avoid that but it unquestionably would be a disruption." more ›

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." more ›

High-rise residents might want to watch out for the threatened doorman strike, or maybe just be a little nicer to the guys carrying their groceries, because doormen are on the Internet! New York Magazine has a whole feature today on building workers who decide not to keep their resident's indiscretions a secret. more ›

Thousands of unionized doormen and other apartment workers voted last night to authorize a strike later in the month, potentially leaving New Yorkers everywhere (or just on the Upper East Side) to sign for their own packages, pick up their own laundry and find other building workers to fall in love with. Though doormen in Brooklyn and Queens approved the measure earlier this week, workers in Manhattan approved the measure last night, authorizing a strike if negotiations can't create a new four-year contract by 12:01 a.m. on April 21. Union 32 BJ president Mike Fishman said in a press release, "Today’s strike vote shows we’re determined to keep our city a place that working families can afford to call home." The biggest issues are wages, health benefits, sick days and overtime, according to 1010Wins. more ›

As mentioned earlier, holiday tipping is taking a hit these days. But some building staffs still have expectations. One shop steward tells Page Six Magazine, "Anything under $50 is considered a bad tip. Some tenants give $20, a few give $400 and some don't give at all—and I can tell you the staff treats [the nongivers] differently. If a bad-tipping tenant calls down for help, the doormen make them wait a little longer. The biggest tippers get the best service." Other doormen put it this way: If you're a good tipper, they'll help you with "moving parked cars to abide by the city's alternate side parking rules, fixing TVs and computers, taking dogs for walks and conveniently 'forgetting' comely visitors to the apartments of adulterers." [Via Curbed] more ›