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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sara Penenberg, Political Coordinator of 32BJ SEIU
3:40:35
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157 sec
Sara Penenberg, representing 32BJ SEIU, urges the city council to allocate funds for back pay owed to security officers working in DHS contracted shelters. She emphasizes the importance of fair wages and benefits for these essential workers, who are primarily black and brown New Yorkers.
- Requests at least $90 million be allocated to DHS for back pay due to thousands of workers
- Highlights the passage of the Safety for Our Shelters Act in 2021, which requires prevailing wages for shelter security officers
- Expresses concern about delayed payments by the city to contracted social service providers and its impact on workers
Sara Penenberg
3:40:35
Good afternoon, chair Ayala and chair Brennan, members of this committee.
3:40:40
I'm Sarah Penenberg.
3:40:41
I'm the political coordinator for local thirty two b j.
3:40:45
Thirty two b j is the nation's largest union of property service workers representing a 85,000 members, including over 90,000 in New York.
3:40:56
I am here today to urge the city council to fund the back pay lawfully owed to the security officers who have served at DHS contracted shelters.
3:41:07
Security officers at city shelters are frontline workers in some of New York's most challenging workplaces, serving the most vulnerable of our neighbors.
3:41:17
The majority of these workers are black and brown New Yorkers who deserve not only our respect, but fair wages and benefits that reflect their essential role in protecting our community and allowing them to build stable and dignified lives in the city that they help keep safe.
3:41:35
Beginning in 2020, '30 '2 b j campaigned for legislation to require prevailing wage benefits for security officers at city contracted shelters.
3:41:45
The safety for our shelters acts sponsored by council member Ayala and Moya passed in 2021.
3:41:52
But contract amended delayed to the lead to officers not being owed officers being owed back pay retroactive to the required start date Despite thirty two BJ's sustained effort to understand the cause and the scope of this delinquency, those engagements with agencies and other stakeholders, still to this day, we believe that thousands of officers are owed tens of millions of dollars in retroactive wages and benefits.
3:42:23
We are asking the council to allocate no less than 90,000,000 to DHS to fund the back pay due to thousands of workers.
3:42:32
These allocations, representing only a small percentage of the DHS budget, would be life changing for many of officers who are owed.
3:42:42
In closing, I would like to elevate the cascading impact that delayed payments by the city in contracted social service provide providers have on working people who deserve better with the city they serve every day.
3:42:57
Beyond budget season, thirty two b j looks forward to working with the council stakeholders to advance reforms that will lead to contracted work at city facilities, including shelter security officers getting what the respect they are due.
3:43:12
Thank you.