The union that represents security officers in office and other buildings kicked off contract negotiations with landlords today.
32BJ SEIU began bargaining for a new four-year contract for the 14,000 security officers it represents in the city, the organization announced Wednesday. The union is negotiating with the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations and a group that represents 16 security contractors.
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The union members work in office buildings, government facilities, museums, libraries, stadiums and areas frequented by tourists, including Hudson Yards, the Statue of Liberty, the Chrysler Building and the World Trade Center.
The current contract, which expires April 30, was agreed to just before the previous one expired in May 2016. Initially the union and the Realty Advisory Board couldn’t agree on increased wages and health insurance options, City Limits reported at the time.
The negotiations leading up to the 2008 deal had a similar trajectory.
The following year, for the first time, 32BJ represented guards working in municipal buildings, and inked a contract that increased wages by as much as 26 percent over three years, according to the New York Times.
In December, 32BJ reached a deal with RAB for its 22,000 office cleaners, agreeing to an annual weighted average wage increase of 2.54 percent, meaning that an average office cleaner stands to make $61,304 by the end of the contract in December 2023. As part of the deal, the average annual wage and benefit increase will be 2.87 percent.
In a statement, Howard Rothschild, president of RAB, said, “We have a great relationship based on mutual respect and look forward to achieving an agreement that is fair to both sides.”