Published: April 22, 2010

Watching Donald Trump struggle with a bag of overflowing trash is right up there with the Northern Lights on my list of things to see before I die. Coincidentally, I could have come very close to checking it off my life list this week, had the owners of more than 3,200 New York City apartment buildings not reached an agreement with 30,000 doormen threatening to go on strike.
 
The union successfully fought for a four-year contract that includes a total pay increase of nearly 10 percent and no significant cuts in benefits. City residents, in turn, breathed a sigh of relief – with the help of a doorman, I’m sure.
 
Several New York City apartment residents said the strike would have been a big “inconvenience” for their daily routines, with others questioning how they would order Chinese food at 11 p.m. if it wasn’t delivered to their door.
 
Those of us who are inhumanely required to open our own doors, take out our own trash and push our own elevator buttons may find such concerns a bit absurd, but it brings up an important lesson in the multifamily housing industry. When residents are promised something, no matter how frivolous it may seem, they expect to get it. Taking it away can almost cause a revolt.
 
Surely anyone with two functioning arms can open a door or carry a package up a flight of steps, but these New York City residents paid for an apartment that includes doormen to perform these tasks on their behalf. And it’s up to the owners to make good on that agreement.
 
While I was initially annoyed by the number of New Yorkers on the edge of their seats during the hours of final negotiation, I now can see their point. When I signed the lease for my apartment, I was promised certain things. A parking space, a pool, a working treadmill in the gym – none of them necessities, but amenities I expect nevertheless.
 
Similarly, whether or not someone really needs a doorman, janitor or porter is irrelevant. The owners of the 3,200 New York City buildings assured each resident they’d receive such services and did what was necessary to stand by their word. If your residents aren’t happy, nobody’s happy.
 
This holds true nation-wide. Check out “He’s At Their Service,” our story on Chicago doorman Victor Golden in the November 2007 issue of units.
 
For a humorous guide on how to open a door in the event of a doorman strike, check out The New York Times’ City Room blog posted on April 19.