New York, NY —

More than 10,000 doormen, porters, handymen, and other apartment workers took to the streets of the Upper East Side to keep all their health benefits and sick days.

Members of the union, 32BJ, say they'll strike if they don't get a new contract by next Wednesday. Building owners say the recession hit them hard by forcing them to accept lower rent payments. But doorman Carlos Pellecier has no sympathy for that.

"Funny how that sounds, because our landlords that charging us rent, our rent went up. So we didn't get no slack. We have to pay our rent to the other landlord."

Pellecier has been a doorman on Riverside Drive for 29 years and says he makes about $24,000 after taxes. That's why he can't afford to give up any benefits right now.

Howard Rothschild, president of The Realty Advisory Board, representing landlords, says the recession hasn't been kind to them. "With the real estate industry being devastated, with regard to increases in operating costs and decreases in real income, this is not the time for the traditional wage and benefit increases that we've seen in the past," he says.

Union members make about $40,000 a year and Rothschild says building owners are not asking for a wage freeze, but they'd like to see the workers pay 10 percent of their health premiums.

The union, SEIU 32BJ, says 3,200 apartment buildings could be affected by the strike. Negotiations begin tomorrow.