Subject: [SocialistWorker.org] A victory for 32BJ
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http://socialistworker.org/2012/01/16/victory-for-32bj
Analysis: Mariano Silva
======== A VICTORY FOR 32BJ ==================================================
Mariano Silva reports on the contract settlement reached by members of
SEIU-32BJ, and why the Occupy movement was central to winning a good
contract.
January 16, 2012
THE NEW Year brought the first important victory to a New York City trade
union when 22,000 commercial building workers, represented by SEIU-32BJ
(32BJ), reached a settlement on a new contract. Given the Occupy Movement's
reshaping of the political terrain in NYC and its active organizing efforts
in support of these workers, this is a victory for which the movement can
take some credit.
32BJ's old contracts were set to expire on January 1, 2012, and the Realty
Advisory Board (RAB), which represents the bosses and is dominated by the
biggest commercial landlords in New York City, was threatening to force the
union to strike if major concessions were not given back to the RAB.
The RAB was seeking three years of zero-wage increases, a two-tier wage
system that would limit new hires to 70 percent of the wage rate, no pension
benefits and no health insurance coverage for family members, as is currently
enjoyed. The RAB was also seeking to deny the union the right to payroll
deductions for its political fund. The bosses achieved none of their demands.
The new contract includes a six percent wage increase over four years, plus
an additional one-off $1,100 bonus and additional pension benefits. The
two-tier wage demand and the other major givebacks for new workers were
defeated, as was the RAB's demand to eliminate deductions for the political
fund. The tentative agreement also includes some added health and retirement
benefits and added safety and job security protections.
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THE CONTRACT fight unfolded during months dominated by the struggles of the
Occupy movement. Because a strike was averted, it is impossible to say how
the participation of Occupy activists would have impacted the strike, but the
prospect of hundreds of occupiers joining picket lines at such locations as
Rockefeller Center, the NY Stock Exchange, and the Time-Warner building, must
have been part of the equation considered by the RAB.
Occupy activists, many active in the Occupy Wall Street Labor Outreach
Committee (LOC), were responsible for helping build joint actions by 32BJ and
the Transit Workers Union. Similarly, Occupy and LOC activists were
instrumental in getting the NYC Central Labor Council (CLC) to call all city
unions out in joint action. The result was a "March for Jobs and Economic
Fairness" on December 1, 2011, that was notable for being a joint march with
no union leadership speakers and was understood to be modeled on the "bottom
up" Occupy tactics.
The march coincided with the 32BJ strike authorization vote, and the 32BJ
contingent was by far the largest on the march. Notably, in the days leading
up to the contract expiration, the CLC also announced that there would be no
crossing of picket lines, most importantly by Teamster delivery people.
In comparison to the last 32BJ building cleaners strike in 1996, the union
was consistently able to mobilize its membership, and was proactive in
building ties to other unions, the CLC, and in preparing for broad picket
lines across the city. Planning was also in place for joint actions with
Occupy and LOC activists. There can be little question that the Occupy
movement, both in creating a favorable political environment to raise the
profile of workers struggles, and in concretely providing both foot soldiers
and tactical leadership, contributed in important ways to this victory.
Some activists have criticized the contract settlement on the narrow grounds
that the wage agreement fails to keep up with the rate of inflation. But they
are missing the forest for the trees.
The organizing and collective effort that went into this contract battle
represent a step forward for the labor movement as a whole. And while
admittedly just one contract in one sector, after 40 years of organized labor
retreats, we are beginning to see the outlines of what it will take to win
real gains, both material and organizational, for workers.
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