Little Progress in Building Workers Negotiations
New York, NY —
Midnight tonight is the strike deadline for more than 28,000 doormen, porters, and handymen in the city. Building owners want workers to accept a one year pay freeze and contribute more toward their health benefits.
REPORTER: Local 32BJ has rejected both those conditions. The two sides have met twice today and Union spokesman Matt Nerzig says there has been some movement.
NERZIG: I mean there's progress in that I think the talks have reached a serious stage. I think there's a focus on these two main issues. So if one wants to call that progress I think that's fair enough but one should also realize we've got a long way to go.
REPORTER: The service workers are employed at about 3-thousand apartment buildings in every borough except the Bronx. At some of those buildings, tenants are being asked to sign up for duties that include monitoring front doors, and taking out the trash.
