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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Christopher Leon Johnson, Former Shop Steward for MTS Access Project
2:26:07
·
130 sec
Christopher Leon Johnson, a former shop steward for the MTS Access Project, provides testimony on the challenges faced by security guards working in NYCHA developments. He highlights issues such as abuse from tenants, interference from tenant presidents, and low wages, while also calling for changes in how security is managed in public housing.
- Johnson argues for the abolishment of resident president input on security matters and the eradication of SECOP's involvement in security operations.
- He criticizes the contract bidding process, noting that companies often underpay guards, leading to poor job performance.
- Johnson emphasizes that guards work for security companies, not NYCHA directly, which can lead to conflicts in job responsibilities and expectations.
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:26:07
Ring on.
2:26:08
Oh, yeah.
2:26:08
Hello, chair can you hear me?
2:26:10
We can hear you.
2:26:11
Hello.
2:26:11
Hello, chair base.
2:26:12
My name is Christopher Leon Johnson.
2:26:14
I'm calling on I'm speaking on behalf of not behalf of of myself.
2:26:18
I used to be a member of.
2:26:20
I used be a shop steward for the MTS access project, but I wanna make this clear that, yeah, the the tenants have a a big issue with safety in the public housing, but the guards have their issues too.
2:26:31
Guards go through a lot of things that the companies refuse to even address.
2:26:35
I know it is I know understand why the con the Dursley J didn't come out because of that the fact that they need, they scared of seeing the speaker.
2:26:43
They scared the speaker coming and tell them what they need to tell them what they need to hear.
2:26:47
But at the same time that look.
2:26:49
The guards get abused by the tenants.
2:26:53
The guards get abused by these tenant presidents.
2:26:55
A lot of these tenant presidents are corrupt.
2:26:57
They play a little dirty games by controlling how the how the the guards get do do their job.
2:27:05
What people don't understand that the guards who work at NYCHA works for a security company.
2:27:09
They don't work for NYCHA.
2:27:10
They work for the company.
2:27:11
And what happens is if you're a guard and you do something that the company don't want you to do, you can get fired.
2:27:17
The only thing that protects these guards from, like, the real real hell as a guard is a union, third to BJ.
2:27:24
At the same time, I'm calling on the, the abolishment of all, resident president input when it comes to, security, security schedules and how security is operated.
2:27:36
I'm calling on the eradication of how SECOP is involved with how security is in the, in the Niger developments.
2:27:42
This shouldn't be happening at all.
2:27:43
The same time that what happens is, security companies get, business contracts.
2:27:49
Whoever get the lowest bid gets the contract.
2:27:52
So, yeah, if if a if a company's get if a company get paid by Nitro $20 an hour, they're gonna pay the guard sixteen dollars an hour.
2:27:59
So if you get paid $16 an hour in a city where you have to make $30 an hour to have a a be what is called a livable a livable wage, yeah, they're gonna do all the type of stuff, sleep on the job, abandon their post, walk out on the job.
2:28:12
Is is something where, like, you as a chair
Chris Banks
2:28:14
Thank you for your testimony.
Christopher Leon Johnson
2:28:16
Alright.
2:28:17
Thank you.
2:28:17
I gotta go.