Local 32BJ building workers strike could impact 3,000 buildings and 500,000 apartments in New York City

NEW YORK - The union representing doorpersons, supers and other building workers have voted to go on strike soon, if need be. 

Their contract expires next week, and they're asking for a pay increase, among other things. 

As CBS2's Alice Gainer explains, if that happens, over 3,000 buildings and 500,000 apartments would be affected citywide. 

On Wednesday, thousands of members of Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union gathered at 79th and Park Avenue, asking to be compensated for their service throughout the last two years during the pandemic. 

"We want fair wage increases," one person said. 

"I worked through the pandemic," said doorman Francisco Lee. 

Lee, who has been on the job for 24 years, says it wasn't easy. 

"I've got to drive over. I couldn't take the train and bus, and stuff like that," he said. 

"Were you concerned for your health, coming into work every day during the pandemic?" Gainer asked. 

"Yeah," he said. 

The union wants the Realty Advisory Board (RAB) to agree to a new contract for 32,000 porters, supers, handypersons and doorpersons throughout the city. 

In addition to wanting a pay increase, they don't like proposals calling for cuts to some paid vacation and sick time. They also want to continue fully employer-paid health care for families. 

"The RAB has proposed fair and reasonable wage increases, as well as the sharing of healthcare costs through employee contributions to the premiums, of which employees currently pay zero," Howard Rothschild, president of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations said in a statement. 

Building management companies are sending out letters to residents in the event of a strike letting them know that in some buildings:

• Security guards may be in place of doorpeople and ask you to provide proof of residency and most won't accept deliveries on behalf of tenants
• Service elevators will be out, meaning no move-ins or move-outs will be allowed
• There won't be anyone to clean the hallways or common spaces
• Amenity spaces like gyms, roof decks and resident lounges will be closed. 

"We all can volunteer and take some slots. Hopefully it won't come to that," one person said. 

"I'm sure if it happens, people will volunteer to man the door. I'm certainly willing to do that," said Manhattan resident Peter Geller.

"They're not taking any packages, and it's a little bit of an inconvenience because when I'm not home, who's going to take the package? They end up sending the package back," another person said. 

The contract expires at midnight Thursday, April 21. 

If an agreement isn't reached by next Wednesday, a strike could happen. 

But the Realty Advisory Board adds the strike authorization vote happens every four years and does not mean a strike will occur. 

The last time there was a strike was 1991.