Office building workers rallied today in Midtown, as negotiators from both sides of the table tried to hammer out a new contract.

Talks picked up again this morning between representatives from Local 32BJ and the Realty Advisory Board -- with both sides walking out Thursday evening without a deal. The two sides say they are willing to negotiate through the weekend.

The union's contract expires New Year's Eve.

Local 32BJ represents 26,000 service workers, including janitors, doormen, and elevator operators. Workers say their wages do not reflect rising real estate revenues.

"We were able to have a discussion for three, four hours with the RAB," said Local 32BK Secretary Treasurer Hector Figueroa. "We're still a distance apart. What they're offering is not enough for our members."

However, landlords maintain workers have been paid fairly and any discussions must take into account forecasts of an economic slowdown.

"Rents and expenses are getting higher for everybody," said James Berg, president of the Realty Advisory Board. "That's the nature of the world. We have proposed wage increases which we believe would keep them up with the cost of living. But they are the best paid service workers in the country."

They have handed out manuals to tenants on how to handle a strike.

A walk out would affect hundreds of buildings in the city. Affected buildings include the Empire State Building, the World Financial Center, and the MetLife building.

The last time workers walked off the job was back in 1996. It lasted about a month.