Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Johnson Commit To Provide Prevailing Wage To Security Guards At Shelters

Today Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Corey Johnson announced the City will commit $40.5 million in the FY22 Budget.

The City is doing this to raise City contracted shelter security guards’ wages to meet the prevailing wage rate for security guards.

These security guards will see their wages increase from as low as $15 dollars per hour to approximately $18 an hour, in addition to benefits such as family health care.

This investment will improve recruitment and retention and impact nearly 4,000 security guards and their families. The new wages will take effect on October 1, 2021.

“A Recovery for All of Us includes supporting essential workers. Security officers safeguard some of our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We are proud to invest $40.5 million to ensure the essential security officers in shelters run by private contractors stay in their jobs and receive the wages and benefits they deserve.”

“Security officers in shelters are protecting our most vulnerable New Yorkers, but for too long they were not getting the wages they deserve. This agreement finally guarantees these essential workers a prevailing wage. This is great news and comes at an important time. They’ve spent the past year helping our city through its darkest hours, and now we’re looking out for them,” said Speaker Corey Johnson.

“The challenging reality that so many shelter security officers continue to endure is changing, starting now,” said Kyle Bragg, President of 32BJ. “Today marks a critical turning point for these officers and their families. We are grateful to Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Corey Johnson, and Council Members Diana Ayala and Francisco Moya for making sure no shelter security officer go home hungry. We will continue to fight until all security officers receive the dignity, respect, and good, family-sustaining jobs they deserve.”

“When we fight, we win. And this is a win for my brothers and sisters working as security guards in the shelter system. In the same way these workers are protecting the most vulnerable, especially during one of the worst pandemics of our time, we need to protect them by ensuring they are provided prevailing wages. This is how we work towards closing the racial wealth gap and give these workers a real shot to thrive. I want to thank the Mayor and the Speaker, and 32BJ President Kyle Bragg for advancing this. I applaud 32BJ for their tireless dedication and for fighting alongside me and working-class New Yorkers to build a fairer and more equitable city,” said Council Member Francisco Moya.

“I stand in solidarity and proud that we have moved toward providing a prevailing wage to those frontline workers who are tasked with protecting our most vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Council Member Diana Ayala. “ Ensuring pay equity for security guard officers in our City’s shelters system will allow for family-sustaining jobs they deserve. The $40.5 million investment will close the economic divide and provide the benefits they and their family members merit. I want to thank Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson for moving this forward, and 32BJ for their advocacy.”

“We greatly value our partnership with 32BJ and their members, and we look forward to working with them and our shelter providers as we implement this agreement between the Mayor and the Speaker,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks.