TESTIMONY
Greg Mantsios, Founding Dean of the CUNY School of Labor And Urban Studies on educational achievements not translating to career advancement for union workers and people of color
1:58:45
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4 min
Greg Mantsios testifies that despite the CUNY School of Labor And Urban Studies providing higher education opportunities to public sector workers, predominantly women and people of color, many still feel trapped in low-paying career paths due to job segregation and pay disparity.
- The school has a decades-long history of educating union workers through tuition benefits from unions like CWA 1180 and DC 37
- However, students complain about being stuck in low-paying jobs despite their educational achievements
- Mantsios cites a 2024 pay disparity report showing historical job segregation and wage gaps
- He urges the city to award extra civil service exam points to graduates, provide pay increases for coursework like teachers get, and allow graduates to take certification exams for new titles
- These measures would break the cycle of occupational segregation identified in the report
Greg Mantsios
1:58:45
Good afternoon.
1:58:47
Good afternoon.
1:58:48
Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.
1:58:51
My name is Greg Matus.
1:58:52
I'm the founding dean of the CUNY School of Labor And Urban Studies, a school that's dedicated to public service and social justice.
1:59:00
Our work spans nearly 40 decades.
1:59:03
Over the course of that time, 4 decades.
1:59:07
4 decades.
1:59:08
I'm not that old.
1:59:11
Over the course of that time, we have provided higher educational opportunities to thousands of public servant sector workers, predominantly women and people of color.
1:59:20
Our students from CWA 11 80 and asked me DC 37 and others received very generous tuition benefit from their unions.
1:59:32
These students work hard.
1:59:34
They juggling their juggling jobs and family obligations.
1:59:39
And attend classes in the evening and devote their times to studies outside of the classroom.
1:59:47
They do extremely well.
1:59:50
Yet the number one complaint that I have heard for 40 years is that despite the educational achievements that our students receive from these unions, too many of these students feel trapped.
2:00:06
Trapped by a system that keeps them on low paying career paths.
2:00:12
I should point out that this is not the case.
2:00:14
For other students.
2:00:15
And just one example that Arthur mentioned, the DOE and UFT work with us to establish a program for power profession.
2:00:24
Else to pursue a career in education, and they provide everything from tuition to, you know, coursework.
2:00:32
We do career counseling.
2:00:34
We do special tutoring and see those power professionals through their careers.
2:00:41
As as public school teachers.
2:00:43
I can get into more details about that later if you'd like.
2:00:47
But job segregation and pay disparity as especially in the context of educational achievement, is an anathema too at the American dream.
2:00:57
And the reveal of ideal that education creates upward mobility.
2:01:03
We've been singing a song of inequality for a long time, but there's a new urgency in this program because of the 2024 pay disparity report.
2:01:13
It shows us that the historic there's a historical pattern and consequence of job segregation and wage disparity.
2:01:21
And secondly, there's a clear path forward.
2:01:25
The consequences of the past practices are shameful, but the path towards the future is clear.
2:01:33
We commend 11:80 and the council for taking up the issue and for creating remedies that they are proposing.
2:01:42
The report calls on d on d cast to reconsider practices that quote rank eligible candidates for promotion so as to better recognize highly skilled and motivated employees, end of quote, to rightly reward the employees who are currently trapped in lower paying and segregated jobs.
2:02:03
We urge the city to One, provide these students with additional points on the civil surface exam as is done with with veterans and of the armed services.
2:02:14
To provide pay increases for those who complete a college courses study as is done by the DOE for teachers who complete a master's plus 30 credits.
2:02:24
And 3 provide courses of study that meets city agency needs and then allow graduates to take selective certification exams, and we're very happy to sit down with the cats to identify subject matter and skill sets Right.
2:02:38
That will repair city workers to enter into these segregated into especially into segregated occupational titles.
2:02:46
These measures will break what the report caused the cycle of occupational segregation.
2:02:53
Thank you for your time and consideration.
