Hundreds of doormen, porters and superintendents held a rally Wednesday on Manhattan's Upper East Side and voted to authorize a strike if contract talks break down.
Their 30,000 member union has started negotiating a new contract with the Realty Advisory Board.
In a statement, board president Howard Rothschild said, "Negotiations with the union are going extremely well so far because we are both committed to the same goal: reaching a fair contract that includes wage increases and protects the generous health and pension benefits that workers enjoy today."
Wednesday's vote allows union leaders to call a strike if no agreement is reached when the contract expires on April 20th.
The workers say they need a cost of living increase to make ends meet.
"We all work hard, we deserve to be treated fairly," said Michael Dawson, 48, who works in security at a residential building in Queens. "We shouldn't be struggling in the richest city."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
