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Co-Op Declares "No Holiday Tipping"
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 4, 2009
Modified Nov 4, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 4, 2009
Modified Nov 4, 2009
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If it's November, it's time to start dreading the Holiday tipping ritual. How much do you give the super or the doorman or—no joke—the sanitation worker? Well, if you're the board of directors at a tony co-op, the solution is simple: Nothing. A thread on the Urban Baby message board has sparked a vigorous debate about noblesse oblige during a recession, beginning thus:
SANTA CLAUS CAME EARLY!!! Just got a notice from our co-op board: "In response to past complaints about favoritism, and in light of the current recession that has dealt a significant blow to many of our shareholders, the board of directors of (XYZ Building) has implemented a strict "no tipping" policy for the building staff." THANK YOU SANTA!!!
The raging debate includes such Ayn Randian insights as, "The building staff are free to find other employment," and rebuttals like, "And you're free to move out of a full-service building and sign for your own damn packages like the rest of us proles." Then a Co-op VP weighs in: "If you people only knew how much unionized (and most of them are union) building staff gets paid, you'd change your mind about tipping them. We have shareholders in our building who wish they had jobs like these. With regular overtime (that he works voluntarily), our building super is making six figures. PLUS free health benefits. PLUS a full pension. How many six-figure earners among us can expect tips?"
Ah, to be a superintendent—the American dream! These fat cats should be tipping the tenants! [Via Curbed]
Tagged
board
bonus
building
co-op
gratuity
holiday
nyc
super
tipping
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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