Rallying in Solidarity with SEIU 32BJ Commercial Building Workers

Thomas K. Duane

December 14, 2011

On December 14, I joined thousands of commercial building workers represented by SEIU 32BJ and their supporters at a rally to demand a fair contract from the Realty Advisory Board (RAB).  The contract for the more than 22,000 workers expires on December 31 and the RAB has proposed a two-tier wage and benefit structure for new hires that would effectively create a second class of workers.  As the commercial real estate industry has seen record profits, especially in the past quarter, I cannot support a contract that would put the interests of the 1% before that of the 99%.  On December 1, the union members voted to call a strike if the contract negotiations did not progress and I will continue to stand with the 32BJ members who keep our office buildings clean and running well in their struggle for a fair contract.