32BJ strike: NYC building workers to vote on strike that could impact 1.5 million residents
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NEW YORK - Thousands of New York City building service workers are expected to rally and vote Wednesday on whether to authorize a strike that could disrupt services for more than 1.5 million residents.
Is 32BJ SEIU going on strike?
A doorman outside a building in the Upper East Side neighborhood of New York, US, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. New York City's doormen and building workers are set to hold a strike vote on April 15 as their union and an advisory board to property owne
What we know:
Members of 32BJ SEIU, the nation’s largest property service workers union, are gathering Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. for a strike authorization vote as contract negotiations with the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations (RAB) remain unresolved.
Why are they voting on a strike?
Local perspective:
The vote comes days before the current four-year labor agreement expires April 20. The contract covers about 34,000 residential building workers, including doorpersons, porters, superintendents, handypersons and resident managers.
Buildings on Park Avenue in the Upper East Side neighborhood of New York, US, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. New York City's doormen and building workers are set to hold a strike vote on April 15 as their union and an advisory board to property owners h
What happens if they go on strike?
Why you should care:
If approved, a strike could impact roughly 600,000 households across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, potentially disrupting essential services such as trash and recycling removal, package handling, building maintenance and front-door security.
What are they asking for?
A doorman sprays a hose outside a building in the Upper East Side neighborhood of New York, US, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. New York City's doormen and building workers are set to hold a strike vote on April 15 as their union and an advisory board to
Union leaders say the dispute centers on wages, health care and pension benefits. 32BJ SEIU has criticized proposals from the RAB that would require workers to contribute to health care premiums, create a lower-paid tier for future hires, expand the use of temporary workers and weaken contract enforcement.
A doorman opens a door in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. New York City residents at more than 3,000 buildings, including the citys most grand high-rises, can stand down on trash duty as building workers struck a labor deal, ending the
The union is seeking to maintain employer-paid health care, secure wage increases to keep pace with the cost of living, strengthen pension benefits and improve working conditions.
Mayor Mamdani, Julie Menin to attend
Zohran Mamdani, Democratic nominee for New York City Mayor, speaks during a news conference at the headquarters of SEIU Local 32BJ in New York City on July 30, 2025, to honor the victims of the shooting in Midtown Manhattan that killed four people on
Elected officials, labor leaders and residents are expected to join the rally. Scheduled speakers include SEIU President April Verrett, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, City Council Speaker Julie Menin, City Comptroller Mark Levine and New York City Central Labor Council President Brendan Griffith.
Workers will rally before holding a formal vote to authorize a strike.
Union President Manny Pastreich said members are prepared to take action if an agreement is not reached.
"While the residential real estate industry is collecting record high rents, this city is becoming more unaffordable for working people every day," Pastreich said.
What's next:
Negotiations are ongoing ahead of the April 20 deadline.
The Source: This report is based on information from 32BJ SEIU.