Public Employee Press

A living wage for public employees
Union, city agree on pay hike for three low-paying job titles

"A city job should be a way out of poverty, not a means to ensure it." — Joe Puleo President, Local 983

By MIKE LEE

After intensive negotiations, DC 37 and the Mayor's Office agreed to provide a living wage for thousands of DC 37 members, thousands of whom make under $10 an hour.

The Mayor's Office and the union signed a memorandum of understanding on March 24 that raises the floor for three low-wage job titles to $11.50 an hour.

That evening, DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido announced the agreement during the DC 37 Delegates monthly meeting.

Effective April 1, new workers in three titles - School Crossing Guard, Job Training Participant and City Seasonal Aide - will be hired at $11.50 an hour. The actual pay dates for the rate increase and the retro were being determined as PEP went to press.

The union's unprecedented victory is part of a major push for a living wage for all workers in New York City. The raise is above the state minimum wage of $8.75.

"This is the start - only just the beginning of the fight for a living wage for all," said Shaun D. Francois I, president of Board of Education Employees Local 372, which represent the School Crossing Guards.

"We have been fighting for this for ten years, through three local presidents. I want to praise Henry Garrido for working with us and the other locals. This proves that unity works, and it is what got this moving," Francois I said. More than 350 School Crossing Guards are affected by this agreement.

2,500 Job Training Participants benefit

The largest group benefiting will be 2,500 Job Training Participants (JTPs). Many JTPs are struggling to rise from poverty while working hard to gain the experience to move into a full-time civil service jobs through the JTP program. The impact of the new $11.50 standard is a step up for these low-paid workers but also a step forward toward achieving the goal of a $15-an-hour living wage.

The historic agreement came at a critical time for working-class public employees.

The high cost of living in New York makes it difficult for working and middle-class New Yorkers to live comfortably.

The number of affordable neighborhoods is shrinking daily. Basic transportation and utility costs are rising. The world-renowned cultural amenities of the city are often out of reach for the average New Yorker, with the costs of restaurants, museums and movie tickets to high for most working- and middle-class residents. Grocery prices are high throughout the city, straining family budgets.

In his State of the City address on Feb. 3, Mayor Bill de Blasio called on the city to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2019 from $8.75, in incremental steps, indexed to inflation.

In response, as the mayor and the City Council began negotiations on a new budget, the union pressed both sides to support a living wage for public-sector workers, in particular for members of DC 37.

"After he expressed his support for a living wage, we said it would make sense for the mayor to consider raising the salaries and wages of the people who work in his own house," Garrido said.

"Our workers are the frontline of public service, and their pay makes it unaffordable for them to live in the city they work for. Our agreement with the city is a great victory for us - and for all workers," he said.

Francois praised city negotiators for hearing the union's concerns. "The talks were amicable and the Mayor's Office saw they had to look out for our best interests - especially for our Crossing Guards, who have to work in all weather conditions and face constant risks."

On March 19, Marie Cox, a School Crossing Guard in Queens, was struck by a car while working a late morning shift in Jackson Heights. The incident called attention to the often-dangerous working conditions School Crossing Guards face while protecting New York City school children.

Raj L. Defreides, a 10-year veteran School Crossing Guard in Queens said, "I am happy that we reached an agreement. This will come in very handy and will work out for the new employees. Because of our schedule, we cannot take a second job, and have had to find work during the summer to ensure our health insurance."

Local 983 Motor Vehicle Operators President Joe Puleo, who represents City Seasonal Aides, emphasized the importance of a living wage for city employees.

"All city employees should have minimum standards and not subject themselves to homeless shelters and public assistance," he said. "A city job should be a way out of poverty, not a means to ensure it."