Thousands of custodians ready to strike

After five weeks of bargaining and little progress in contract negotiations, the members of the union representing 2,800 office building workers in Philly voted to authorize a strike if no deal is finalized ahead of the Thursday deadline.

"This is not only about our contract and these members," said Daisy Cruz, Mid-Atlantic director of 32BJ Service Employees International Union. "It is about benefits and raising wages for all working people."

Outside 1515 Market Street Tuesday afternoon, members of the 32BJ SEIU union voted to authorize a strike should contract negotiations stall.

Outside 1515 Market Street Tuesday afternoon, members of the 32BJ SEIU union voted to… more

"Things can get really messy," Cruz said. And she means literally.

Office workers may notice overflowing trash cans and cluttered work spaces if the union and the organization representing the landlords and managers of more than 160 office buildings in the Philadelphia area, Building Owners Labor Relations Inc., fail to reach an agreement ahead of the midnight Thursday expiration of the current contract.

"Getting a strike vote from membership is a normal part of the process to arm their bargaining committee," said Bob Martin, BOLR president, who added the talks are where they typically would be at this stage in the negotiations.

The BOLR began discussions with 32BJ SEIU on Sept. 3 and introduced its first wage proposal Tuesday.

An increase from the current average wage of about $16 an hour is desired, and union leaders have repeatedly cited the commercial real estate industry's current state – a big improvement since they last agreed on a contract in 2011 – as a reason the bump in pay is justified.

Cruz declined to name an exact figure for the workers' wage, instead emphasizing that it should be "fair."

The union is also battling management's proposal to have members pay more out-of-pocket for their healthcare and freeze employees' pensions – two items that would cut into the amount of money workers take home.

The vote does not mean a strike will definitely occur, but it is a preemptive measure so union members can walk off the job that much sooner should 32BJ SEIU leaders give the okay.

Philly high-rises, like the Comcast Center and the Penn Center, would be impacted by a strike, as would some smaller facilities, including City Hall.

The union members, who rallied and voted outside 1515 Market Street Tuesday afternoon, have staged several demonstrations over the past few weeks to draw attention to the bargaining.

When the contract was last up for negotiation in fall 2011, management and union leaders finalized a deal at the last minute on Oct. 15, 2011 after five weeks of talks.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal