Published: August 18, 2010

EAST FLATBUSH—Faced with a demand for a 30-percent cut in wages and loss of benefits from their employer, Renaissance Equity Holdings, apartment building workers at the massive Flatbush Gardens housing complex in East Flatbush voted this week to empower their bargaining committee with the authority to call a strike.

A strike at the development would affect more the 10,000 Brooklyn residents.

“Today’s vote shows that the hard working men and women who maintain and clean Flatbush Gardens are ready to do what it takes to get a fair contract,” said Hector Figueroa, secretary treasurer of 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

“Renaissance Equity Holdings’ demands are a lose-lose for the tenants and for the workers who are critical to the everyday operations of this housing complex.”

The contract between 32BJ SEIU and Renaissance expired in April. Bargaining for a new contract has continued in an effort to reach a fair agreement.

There are some 70 workers — which include “handymen” and porters — who average about $40,000 annually and receive employer-provided family health care coverage and pensions. Workers are seeking to maintain affordable family health care, wage increases to keep up with the rising cost of living and retirement savings, according to Figueroa.

Renaissance, however, is insisting on a 34-percent cut in wages and benefits, which includes a five-dollar per hour wage reduction and cuts to healthcare and pension benefits. In addition, owners have proposed a two-tier pay system.

“Rather than bargain in good faith, building owners are attempting to enforce draconian cuts across the board,” Figueroa said. “No one wants a strike, but we’re committed to do what it takes to get workers what they need to make ends meet in this city.”

Flatbush Gardens has more than 10,000 residents living in 2,500 residential units in 59 buildings, making it one of the largest housing complexes in Brooklyn.

A city-wide strike of apartment building workers was narrowly averted in April, when 30,000 other apartment building workers in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island reached an agreement with the Reality Advisory Board that was ratified in May by the workers.

That four-year agreement provides nearly 10 percent in wage increases, maintains fully employer-paid family health care coverage and keeps pension benefits secure.

It covers 30,000 doormen, superintendents, resident managers, porters, handymen and concierges at over 3,200 city buildings — including 1,980 workers at 225 buildings in Brooklyn.

It also maintains benefits (sick days, overtime and vacation) and increases employer contributions to health care by nearly 20 percent and pensions by over 20 percent. Residential worker wage increases exceeded the last contract’s 8.5 percent.