Senators Clinton and Schumer are part of the group of politicians telling us that illegal immigrants are needed in America because they do jobs Americans won't do.
Coincidentally, at midnight tonight NYC apartment workers, part of the Service Employees International Union is calling for a strike.
New York doormen who do everything from calling elevators to zipping up evening gowns for ladies in need may be going on strike, leaving hundreds of thousands of well-heeled New Yorkers to fend for themselves.
Doormen earn an average of around $37,000 a year, according to Nerzig. But the special services they perform can mean tips of several hundred dollars from each family in the building at Christmas.
Given the non-taxable income, it's possible that these jobs pay the equivalent of from 40 - 45k. Up until now, the positions have also included about 10k a year in fully subsidized health insurance costs paid by management.
The Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, which negotiates on behalf of the building owners, says taxes have gone up greatly, as have the costs of heating, pensions and health care. A temporary pay freeze is not unreasonable, the board says.
"They've already been a beneficiary of this health plan, which is costing employers about $10,000 a year for each employee," says Jim Grossman, a board spokesman. "So, yes, the realty advisory board has asked for a 0% pay increase."
They are being asked to accept a pay freeze for the first year of the contract and to begin contributing to their health care plan. I wouldn't presume to suggest that New York City's limousine liberal set do without the following necessary services, ones many of us do for ourselves:
A strike would leave apartment owners and residents to perform tasks performed by their doormen -- everything from pushing elevator buttons, moving furniture and taking in deliveries.
"Sometimes you watch the kids, make sure they get off the bus all right. Some buildings walk the dogs," said Peter Garvey, who has been working as a doorman at a posh building along Central Park for 20 years. "People call to zip up a dress or things like that if they are in rush, putting up buttons when they get their nails done."
So, wouldn't this be a great opportunity for the never camera shy Senator Schumer and potential Presidential candidate Senator Clinton to tell their union constituents to step aside from these jobs apparently Americans won't do?
And maybe while they're at it, they can arrange for a visit from ICE (Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to determine just how many of these currently working Americans are working with false security numbers. Who knows, maybe some of them aren't actually American after all.
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