News

UNI General Secretary, Philip Jennings took part in the 10,000 strong march and addressed a rally in downtown Manhattan organised by UNI affiliate SEIU 32BJ. The union is representing 22,000 workers from 1,500 office buildings in New York who are demanding a fair contract from the Realty Advisory Board (RAB) which represents building owners.

RAB and SEIU 32BJ are in talks on a new agreement and the union has not ruled out strike action if a deal cannot be brokered before the current agreement expires at the end of the year.

Jennings said, “UNI is the global union for property services and we are fighting hard for the rights of these invisible workers. New York is the city that doesn’t sleep – how? Because 32BJ members are working through the night to clean and secure buildings! They make sure that ordinary offices and landmark buildings such as the Rockefeller Centre and the Empire State Building are fit for business and visitors alike. This is essential work and I urge RAB to negotiate in good faith and protect these quality jobs.”

“The workers who keep office buildings clean and running well should be able to make ends meet in our city,” said Mike Fishman, President of SEIU 32BJ. “This is about more than just getting a new contract for them; it’s about keeping our city a place that working families can afford to call home.”

The union is fighting to preserve decent jobs with wages that keep pace with the cost of living, as well as maintain benefits such as affordable healthcare. In response, RAB wants to establish a two-tier wage and benefit structure for new hires, aimed at creating a lower-paid second class of workers, as well as other measures that would make it harder for current and new workers to survive financially in New York.

The contract negotiations come at the end of a year when the $20 billion Manhattan commercial real estate industry has experienced a boom and is on track to reach the third highest total-sales year on record.