NYC building workers avoid strike as union reaches tentative agreement with realty board

NYC building workers reach tentative deal with owners

The union that represents more than 30,000 building workers across New York City announced a tentative four-year labor agreement that would avoid a strike. The deal includes pay increases, no premium sharing on family healthcare, and pension improvements.

NEW YORK - The union representing thousands of New York City building service workers announced a new tentative labor deal with building owners on Friday, days before workers were expected to go on strike.

Building workers' union reaches labor deal

What we know:

Representatives for 32BJ SEIU and the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations (RAB) announced the tentative four-year deal on Friday.

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Union president Manny Pastreich said that the new agreement satisfied workers' three goals going into the negotiations—wage increases, healthcare assurances and pension improvements.

Specifically, the deal includes a $4.50 hourly raise over the four-year agreement, no premium sharing for family healthcare and a 15% pension improvement, which would begin in July, according to Pastreich.

What they're saying:

"There was never any doubt that they wanted to do the right thing for the working people who take care of the buildings," Pastreich said about RAB negotiators. "It was just how we were going to get there and whether we had the money to get there."

RAB President Howard Rothschild called the deal a "win-win-win-win" for employers, the union and employees.

The backstory:

The union, 32BJ SEIU, represents about 34,000 residential building workers, including doorpersons, porters, superintendents, handypersons and resident managers across New York City. It's the largest property service workers union in the U.S.

The union's current four-year contract was set to expire on Monday, April 20. Earlier this week, union members voted to authorize a strike if contract negotiations with the RAB failed to materialize a new deal before the deadline.

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

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Dig deeper:

Prior to Friday, 32BJ SEIU had 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. 

Pastreich said that as of just hours before Friday's announcement, the two sides were still discussing the two-tier system, and ultimately that was not included in the agreement.

When could the new labor deal be approved?

What's next:

The union will send out mail-in ballots next week for members to vote on the new agreement. According to Pastreich, it would take about a month, until late May, for the ballots to be counted.