Published: April 21, 2010

It's rare that we get to read about a total victory for workers in a contract fight. But, you can't read this any other way:

The talks went right up to the midnight strike deadline, as they often have in the past, with the union resisting the owners’ demands for cuts in health care and other benefits. In the end, the owners agreed to a new four-year contract that includes a total pay increase of nearly 10 percent and no significant cuts in benefits for the workers, an official with the union, Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, said.

From the other places I've gotten information, it appears that the workers get pay raises every year, nearly 10% over 4 years (which, in today's environment, is pretty darn good, though, obviously, it does not match the kind of productivity workers have shown over the past decade and it won't fend off the higher cost of living in New York City) beat back demands on having to pay for health care and they kept all the sick days the realtors were trying to seize back (because, well, sick workers should just get with it and stop being sick). Most important, there will not be a two-tier system for current and new workers.

Nice to write about something positive.