32BJ SEIU, the nation’s largest building service workers union, released a report denouncing what it says is the “misdevelopment of Jersey City” and highlighting income inequality facing local residential workers.32BJ SEIU represents over 15,000 workers in New Jersey, including 1,500 in Jersey City.In the report, 32BJ SEIU says there are numerous challenges residential building workers, most of whom are people of color, face, including low pay, minimal benefits, harassment, retaliatory suspensions and terminations, and manipulation of work hours and scheduling.“I work hard and I’m proud of what I do. But when I look at the medical bills piling up and think how am I going to afford the healthcare my wife and I need when I get paid barely above the minimum wage and have thousands of dollars of debt, the retirement I’ve dreamed of for years feels too far away,” said Ramon Fana, a porter for Kushner Real Estate Group, the real estate development and management company behind projects like Journal Squared, Grove Pointe and a building slated to house the Pompidou art museum.It also claims that the growth of luxury housing driven by developers has fueled income inequality in Jersey City. Jersey City currently ranks fourth worst in the nation for income inequality, according to a study from Yahoo Finance. The union says that since 2017, 59 residential towers have been built in the city, 95% of which have been marketed as luxury buildings. According to the report, while residential developers prosper, Jersey City building service workers and residents see no significant improvements in their living standards and continue to face income inequality and potentially illegal rent-gouging practices. “What we’re seeing here is a clear pattern of worker exploitation and mistreatment by luxury developers. While they’ve reaped the benefits of publicly funded tax breaks, these developers have systematically denied their workers the decent wages and benefits that would allow them to participate in the prosperity they help create through their hard work. This needs to stop because we can’t close the income inequality gap until workers have a place at the table and are appropriately compensated for their contributions,” said Ana Maria Hill, 32BJ SEIU’s New Jersey State Director.32BJ SEIU is calling for several solutions to address these issues. These include forming a citywide alliance of workers to give them a stronger voice in their workplaces and communities, banning the use of algorithmic tools by landlords that enable collusion in rent-setting and drive rents above wage growth, and urging local officials to hold developers accountable by monitoring tax abatement payments and addressing tenant complaints about sub-standard living conditions.“The rising tide must lift all boats, and the prosperity of the city must be shared by the backbone of the city — the members of 32BJ SEIU. It’s crucial that we stand with our workforce to ensure fair treatment and opportunities for all, especially as development continues across the city,” said Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh.Neither the mayor’s spokesperson nor a representative for KRE Group responded to a request for comment on the report.The post Service Workers Union Releases Report Denouncing “The Misdevelopment of Jersey City” appeared first on Jersey City Times.