Having worked with a major real estate program manager in Manhattan, I’d like to offer some perspective on this. These building workers should be happy they’re even employed. Doormen and elevator operators are un-skilled laborers with no stress or complexity to their jobs. Quite frankly, they’re un-necessary. In addition, they receive some hefty tips around the holidays that supplement their income. They perform a task. They can’t do anymore of it or can’t do it more efficiently. They don’t add value. The maintenance folks keep busy, but certainly aren’t over-challenged. Since nothing these people do impacts the rental values in the city, and since they have no investment in the property, where do they get off demanding a piece of the action when the owners take all the risks?
all those people that live/work in those buildings haul all their junk out to the street where the trash pick-up crews can get it more efficiently at a much lower cost & tell the janitors/elevator button pushers/door openeners to go pound sand?
Let’s be real. Trash removal in apartments is important. It is however, a basic function with a limited value. Otherwise, people don’t really need somebody to push an elevator button or hold a door open. That went out with the 19th century. If they think they’re entitled to that fine…. but the value of that service doesn’t increase because of a favorable real estate market. If these people want to earn more money, let them get out of their comfort zone, learn a new skill, take on more responsibility, and demonstrate why they’re worth more.
so what if a real estate has increased value! the job you have as an service provider, are among the HIGHEST paid in the country. i know many folks who wud gladly like to have a $40k a/yr job. there are many professionals in other fields that don’t make that much. ur job of cleaning and it’s pay does not correlate in the amount of the bldg’s worth. your not sold w/the property as part of the property. the company you work for signed you on as service worker. if companies are smart, they will in cases give a cost of living raise to match inflation rates – not just housing market (where as in this case a housing market could boom one year and the next go down the next) does this mean you would be willing to give up your pay, if the market went down? um, i wonder….
$40,000 in NYC? That’s barely livable, people. The greed is the real estate owners who feel they need to keep all the profit for themselves. The rich get richer, and that’s the downfall of this country.
If they can’t afford to live in NYC on what they make, then maybe they should move to a city where the cost of living is less? Service work and light labor positions are probably available everywhere in the in USA.
I don’t live in NYC because it’s crowded and expensive. Does that mean that if I move there, I can go on strike because I can’t afford to live there?
Likewise, if they all leave NYC and suddenly there’s no one to hire for those positions, companies will eventually have to pay more to lure workers toward the jobs. So move out of NYC… in the long run it’s win/win! Ha ha ha!
I will grant you I’ve never lived in NYC, but it would seem to me there are probably tens of thousands of people living in that city and surrounding environs living on less than $40,000/yr. It all depends on what you call “living”. I’m sure they can afford shelter, food, clothing and the other neccesities on that amount. I’m sure they can even afford a few luxuries. They won’t be seeing Broadway shows all the time or hitting the trendy spots, but neither does 95% of the country.
well, if $40k is not enuf to live on in NYC, then they have 4 options and more possibly:
1) move to another city and make money that would make them comfortable.
2) don’t go on strike because then what are you getting paid? less than what you make to begin with.
3) live outside the city and commute, cheaper to live outside the NYC.
4) go back and get a high school diploma/ged or even a college degree and get a better job.
afterall, going on strike can only make it worse on you, because, what if they hire someone else? afterall, you broke the contract to go on strike. i bet there are plenty of folks who would gladly step into those shoes and make some money. i bet a homeless person can manage his money better if he had a nice $40k job!
i may not live in nyc, but at least i know that i would cross that line – my family comes first and making a paycheck is right behind that. i have to pay my bills!
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Having worked with a major real estate program manager in Manhattan, I’d like to offer some perspective on this. These building workers should be happy they’re even employed. Doormen and elevator operators are un-skilled laborers with no stress or complexity to their jobs. Quite frankly, they’re un-necessary. In addition, they receive some hefty tips around the holidays that supplement their income. They perform a task. They can’t do anymore of it or can’t do it more efficiently. They don’t add value. The maintenance folks keep busy, but certainly aren’t over-challenged. Since nothing these people do impacts the rental values in the city, and since they have no investment in the property, where do they get off demanding a piece of the action when the owners take all the risks?
all those people that live/work in those buildings haul all their junk out to the street where the trash pick-up crews can get it more efficiently at a much lower cost & tell the janitors/elevator button pushers/door openeners to go pound sand?
I guess we’ll find out how un-nessecary the workers are after they’ve been striking for a couple of weeks.
Let’s be real. Trash removal in apartments is important. It is however, a basic function with a limited value. Otherwise, people don’t really need somebody to push an elevator button or hold a door open. That went out with the 19th century. If they think they’re entitled to that fine…. but the value of that service doesn’t increase because of a favorable real estate market. If these people want to earn more money, let them get out of their comfort zone, learn a new skill, take on more responsibility, and demonstrate why they’re worth more.
so what if a real estate has increased value! the job you have as an service provider, are among the HIGHEST paid in the country. i know many folks who wud gladly like to have a $40k a/yr job. there are many professionals in other fields that don’t make that much. ur job of cleaning and it’s pay does not correlate in the amount of the bldg’s worth. your not sold w/the property as part of the property. the company you work for signed you on as service worker. if companies are smart, they will in cases give a cost of living raise to match inflation rates – not just housing market (where as in this case a housing market could boom one year and the next go down the next) does this mean you would be willing to give up your pay, if the market went down? um, i wonder….
$40,000 in NYC? That’s barely livable, people. The greed is the real estate owners who feel they need to keep all the profit for themselves. The rich get richer, and that’s the downfall of this country.
I agree with Mark’s comment.
If they can’t afford to live in NYC on what they make, then maybe they should move to a city where the cost of living is less? Service work and light labor positions are probably available everywhere in the in USA.
I don’t live in NYC because it’s crowded and expensive. Does that mean that if I move there, I can go on strike because I can’t afford to live there?
Likewise, if they all leave NYC and suddenly there’s no one to hire for those positions, companies will eventually have to pay more to lure workers toward the jobs. So move out of NYC… in the long run it’s win/win! Ha ha ha!
I will grant you I’ve never lived in NYC, but it would seem to me there are probably tens of thousands of people living in that city and surrounding environs living on less than $40,000/yr. It all depends on what you call “living”. I’m sure they can afford shelter, food, clothing and the other neccesities on that amount. I’m sure they can even afford a few luxuries. They won’t be seeing Broadway shows all the time or hitting the trendy spots, but neither does 95% of the country.
well, if $40k is not enuf to live on in NYC, then they have 4 options and more possibly:
1) move to another city and make money that would make them comfortable.
2) don’t go on strike because then what are you getting paid? less than what you make to begin with.
3) live outside the city and commute, cheaper to live outside the NYC.
4) go back and get a high school diploma/ged or even a college degree and get a better job.
afterall, going on strike can only make it worse on you, because, what if they hire someone else? afterall, you broke the contract to go on strike. i bet there are plenty of folks who would gladly step into those shoes and make some money. i bet a homeless person can manage his money better if he had a nice $40k job!
i may not live in nyc, but at least i know that i would cross that line – my family comes first and making a paycheck is right behind that. i have to pay my bills!