Doormen & Porters At Chelsea & Downtown Buildings Stage Brief Strikes
Workers at two residential buildings–527 W. 27th St. and 56 Pine St.–recently unionized with 32BJ SEIU, and staged short strikes in February. Union leaders said that management restored some benefits after the brief job actions, but that negotiations over first-time contracts are not settled.
| 31 Mar 2024 | 03:34
Workers with 32BJ SEIU’s New York Metro residential division conducting a brief strike at 56 Pine St. The union said that cut breaks were restored after the labor action, but that a first-time contract was still being negotiated with management. (
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Labor unrest continues at two Manhattan buildings–one in Chelsea and another in the Financial District–as unionized workers, such as doormen and porters, seek first-time contracts.
The workers, who are part of 32BJ SEIU’s New York Metro Residential Division, staged brief walkouts in February. The first strike occurred at 527 W. 27th St. on February 15, and lasted for 24 hours. The building is owned by Jardim. Kevin Stavris, the director of the residential division, told Straus News that Jardim and its board “went backwards on healthcare” by cutting staff insurance. They did so “without speaking to the union,” he added. After the one-day strike, their insurance was restored, he said.
32BJ filed a prevailing wage complaint against Jardim’s management with the New York City Comptroller on March 22, which alleged that “4 concierge [workers] and 2 porters working at the [W. 27th St.] Jardim Condominium are not being paid” the amount required by law.
The union staged a two-day strike at 56 Pine St., beginning on Feb. 28, in a dispute over staffing levels and mandatory breaks. The union said that breaks were restored after that job action, but that restoring prior staffing levels remains a point of contention. The union told Straus that the outcome of the latter strike nonetheless represented “tangible wins.”
32BJ posted comments from some workers on X.com (formerly Twitter). Michael Ramirez, a doorman at 56 Pine St., stated: “Cuts in staffing have impacted our ability to take meal breaks. Not having that break is a mood killer, especially working a double. I’ve had to go 16 hours with no meal breaks. That’s not right.”
The union said that contract negotiations are ongoing at both buildings. Although brief, the February strikes “show the power of our collective action,” Stavris said.
Neither Jardim nor Penmark Realty–which manages 56 Pine St.–returned requests for comment by press time.