Public Employee Press

Local 372 demands hiring, more hours and year-round health insurance
Campaign launched for School Crossing Guards

Local 372 estimates that the city needs an additional 200 School Crossing Guards throughout the city.

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

Hiring more School Crossing Guards, lifting the cap on the number of their work hours and providing year-round health benefits are on the agenda for Board of Education Employees Local 372. The local launched a campaign to resolve these issues during a news conference on April 8, in front of City Hall. "Local 372's job is kids, but the adults need to make sure we hire more School Crossing Guards so that we can keep kids safe," said the local's president, Shaun D. Francois I.

The local's concerns received wide support from several members of the City Council who stood with the local president at the news conference.

Supporting the local was the Chair of the Public Safety Committee Vanessa L. Gibson. "School Crossing Guards are the lifeblood of public safety for children and educators in our community," she said. "It is critical that we raise the headcount of School Crossing Guards, expand recruitment opportunities, improve working conditions and increase their benefits."

"School Crossing Guards are some of the most essential workers - performing the invaluable task of keeping our kids safe as they travel to school - so it's outrageous that we've been paying them poverty wages, capping their hours, and doing very little to protect the workers we trust to protect our children," said City Council member Brad Lander.

A survey by the Manhattan Borough President's office found that schools above 96th Street in Manhattan need 39 additional School Crossing Guards.

City Council member Carlos Menchaca said that a 20 percent increase in the budget would help hire more SCGs in his Sunset Park district in Brooklyn. Local 372 estimates that the city needs an additional 200 throughout the city.

On March 24, the union reached an agreement with the city to increase the pay of School Crossing Guards and three other titles from under $10 an hour to $11.50.

The local hopes that with the increased pay and better benefits those vacancies will be easier to fill.