THE REALTY ADVISORY BOARD ON LABOR RELATIONS AND 32BJ REACH TENTATIVE LABOR AGREEMENT FOR NEW YORK CITY’S 30,000 RESIDENTIAL BUILDING SERVICE WORKERS
No Strike, Creates and Provides Middle Class Jobs for Families, Three Decades of Labor Peace, and Substantial Improvements for Both Sides
New York, NY (April 13, 2018) – The Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations(RAB) today announced that it has reached a tentative labor agreement with 32BJ, the union representing residential building service workers in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island.
The contract, which was set to expire at midnight on April 20, 2018, covers more than 30,000 residential building service employees, including doorpersons, porters, handypersons and building superintendents, who work in more than 3,000 residential buildings.
“We are proud to have reached a fair and successful agreement. It will continue to create and provide middle class jobs and ultimately bring us to more than thirty years of uninterrupted labor peace,” said Howard Rothschild, President of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations. “Both sides thoughtfully considered the economic realities of the industry moving into the next four years, allowing us to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. We have agreed on fair and reasonable wage increases for employees and the continuation of our excellent health plan, while controlling costs for employers.”
RAB and 32BJ strengthened their longstanding commitment to a respectful and safe work environment for all employees. Both sides agreed on policies that aim to better ensure no resident or employee should have to deal with discrimination or harassment.
The residential real estate industry is also proud to support more than 30,000 quality middle-class jobs for New Yorkers, many of whom are first generation Americans. The new agreement strengthens the parties’ commitment to protecting these workers in a time of national uncertainty.
The average annual wage increase will be 2.73%, which will bring the total wage for a typical doorperson or porter to $55,017 by the end of the contract. The average annual wage and benefit increase will be 3.32%, or approximately 13.28% in total, over the four-year contract. Under this tentative labor agreement, New York City’s 32BJ members will continue to be among the highest paid residential building service workers in the country in one of the most heavily unionized job sectors in the city.
The RAB and 32BJ also continues to refine and improve one of the country’s best healthcare plans. 32BJ members will continue to receive full family health insurance covering medical, dental, optical and prescription drug coverage. The employer’s healthcare costs will be controlled and contained over the next four years through RAB and 32BJ’s innovative health plan structures. While other industries continue to see employer payments to health insurance companies skyrocket – without improvement in actual healthcare – the RAB/32BJ health plan continues to bend the curve of insurance costs, limiting future increases without sacrificing quality care.
Under the tentative agreement, employees will continue to receive a defined benefit pension and a 401K annuity with an employer contribution.
The tentative agreement is subject to ratification by both the union membership and RAB board. Once ratified, the contract will extend to April 20, 2022.
The Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, Inc., (RAB)
The Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations (RAB) was formed in 1933 as an organization through which employers in the building service industry could bargain with unions. The RAB represents building owners in one of the most unionized industries in New York City and its building service workers are among one of the highest paid in the country.