Bldgs. union trash talk in strike vote
Members of Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) voted Thursday to authorize a residential strike vote once the current contract expires on April 20. It would be the first such strike the union has called since 1991 when residential workers struck for 11 days, though one has been authorized every year 1985. Although the union's specific demands have not been publicized, a union spokesman said all the members want is 'a fair wage.' Problems have arisen over both wage raises and employee contributions to health care. On the other side, building owners say the contract needs to reflect the times, and that labor has gotten more expensive. The union countered by saying however hard times were for the owners, they were harder for the workers. 3,200 apartment buildings could be affected by the strike, meaning residents would have to open their own doors and remove their own trash.
See "Bldgs. union trash talk in strike vote", Tom Tapousis, New York Post, April 1, 2010