New York City office workers are prepared to strike if firms cut employee healthcare benefits
The labor contract between real estate firms and office cleaners in New York City will end in late December, and office cleaners are demonstrating and gathering in front of these buildings this week to demand a new contract. These office cleaners cleaned hundreds of buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic and put their own health at risk to keep office spaces clean. These office cleaners, who are represented by the Service Employees United Union, are seeking greater wages and increases in various employee benefits, such as healthcare and retirement funds. The union is anticipating proposed cuts in healthcare benefits during contract negotiations, as many firms are suffering from high office vacancy rates and decreasing property values. The Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, which represents NYC real estate firms, has stated that cutbacks are inevitable, and the current benefits are not sustainable. The board also stated that workers currently do not pay an annual premium for their healthcare, and most workers in the United States do pay an annual premium. SEIU announced that the commercial building maintenance division is prepared to take strike action if worker demands aren’t met.
See "New York City office workers are prepared to strike if firms cut employee healthcare benefits", Stefanos Chen, The New York Times, November 10, 2023