Over 500 workers went on strike yesterday at Co-op City in the Bronx, and residents are starting to feel the pain. The workers were locked out of the complex by management once they learned of the strike, and now broken lights are going unfixed and the garbage is piling up. Tenant Leroy Dow told the Post, "The garbage is loose, which is a huge problem because there are a lot of raccoons around, especially at night. When it rains, the garbage will smell and attract rats." Could the complex be headed for a ratdemic?
Workers went on strike after RiverBay Corp. management proposed a four-year wage freeze, something 32BJ Vice President Kyle Bragg called "unacceptable." However, RiverBay Corp. general manager Vernon Cooper said they offered the union a 2.33% pay increase every year in a four-year contract. He told NY1, "We also agreed that there would be no contributions on the part of the employees to their health plan. And we also agreed to a 20 percent increase to their pension plan. So we have negotiated in good faith."
Until negotiations are settled, residents are attempting to maintain the buildings themselves by taking out trash and performing other chores. Despite the work, many say they still side with the union. One 15-year resident told the Times, "Workers that are here and work in our building have been there for years. It’s a relationship more than anything." Those on strike insist RiverBay wanted a wage freeze and to put workers on a cheaper, inadequate health plan. And you know they're getting a kickback from the raccoons.
