Watch out, Hamptons, the locusts will be swarming early this year

An impending strike threatens luxury apartment tenants in NYC, and they aren’t happy.

Working from home could soon have a whole new meaning for New Yorkers living in luxury buildings. If service workers — which include doormen and women, porters, superintendents, maintenance personnel and concierges — carry out a citywide strike on Wednesday, ritzy residents could be on the hook for everyday tasks such as taking out their own trash, picking up packages and patrolling the lobby

[30-year-old] Alyssa’s building — which is equipped with a concierge, valet, dry cleaners, a package collection center, a gym, sauna and a roof deck — sent around a sign-up earlier in the month “requesting that you fill in all the hours you may be available so that we can schedule coverage for the lobby area throughout the day.” Alyssa, who pays $3,300 a month for rent with her partner, said she “might consider” pitching in “but I’m really hoping it doesn’t [happen].”

Ardist Brown, 61, a concierge for 34 years on the Upper West Side, noted that at the Central Park West building he works at, only one resident had signed up for lobby duty in case of a strike.

One of his residents, Alisa Kauffman, 62, said she would consider signing up but was hesitant. 

“No one even wanted to give out Halloween candy this year because of COVID, let alone take on another job that involves sitting at a post and making sure people are coming into the building that are supposed to be there or putting out the trash for your neighbors. This strike can’t happen. They have to figure this out.”

And this:

…. Brown imagined that some residents would simply flee in the event of a strike, rather than stay put and worry about their safety. 

“Some of them are going to leave — just like when the pandemic hit — and ride it out,” said Brown …

“Some of them said they’ll go to their weekend homes and come back when it’s over.”