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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jennifer Geiling on behalf of a campaign for a minimum wage for human services workers
2:06:05
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3 min
Jennifer Geiling testifies in support of a charter amendment to mandate that city contracts for human services be funded sufficiently to pay workers a wage reflecting the city's official "true cost of living." She argues the current low wages (~$40k/year) paid to the predominantly female and minority workforce are poverty-inducing, contradicting charter goals of equity and economic prosperity, and fall drastically short of the city's own cost of living standard.
- Proposes a charter amendment linking human services contract funding to the city's true cost of living measure.
- Highlights the low pay (~$40k) and resulting economic insecurity ($63k gap) for the ~600,000 workers in the sector.
- Argues current funding levels violate charter principles of equity and economic opportunity for marginalized groups.
Jennifer Geiling
2:06:05
Good evening.
2:06:06
The campaign would like to thank Charter Revision Commission chair, Yuri, and commission members.
2:06:12
I kindly acknowledge my nonprofit colleagues on the commission.
2:06:17
My name is Jennifer Geiling, and I served in the human services, government, procurement, and contracting sectors for more than twenty five years, including serving with the mayor's office of contract services and establishing the mayor's nonprofit resiliency committee.
2:06:34
I am here representing a campaign to bring up minimum pay for human services.
2:06:39
We are proposing a charter amendment that requires contracted human services to be funded at a true cost of living.
2:06:48
In 2022, voters passed a charter amendment to establish an annually report on a citywide true cost of living measurement.
2:06:57
The ballot explained that the measure focuses on dignity.
2:07:01
Dignity is foundational to our percent of New York City private sector employees, approximately 600,000 people work in a human services related industry.
2:07:16
It's a workforce funded and directed by Citi contracts, which the charter calls client services.
2:07:25
While this workforce supports people living in poverty, nearly 90% of these workers are earning poverty inducing wages.
2:07:35
A single adult New York City Human Services Worker earns an annual wage of approximately $40,000.
2:07:44
This is significantly below the cost of living in New York City with nearly 30% of this workforce receiving SNAP benefits.
2:07:56
Based on Urban Institute's true cost of economic security measure and findings for New York City, a salary of $40,000 means that a single person household is under resourced by as much as $63,000.
2:08:14
Many words can describe this economic reality.
2:08:18
Undignified is at the top of the list.
2:08:22
The charter's preamble sets collective values to guide the city's activities and uphold the rights of residents, including the rights to have resources to prosper economically and build wealth.
2:08:35
The current level of contract funding is not only inadequate to pay a true cost of living, but impossible to realize prosperity and wealth.
2:08:45
Those impacted by this underfunding are identified in the charter as historically marginalized.
2:08:52
The workforce identifies as 80% people of color, eighty seven percent female, and 63% foreign born.
2:09:02
It is for these individuals that the charter demands we act intentionally.
2:09:08
The time to act is now.
2:09:11
With the introduction of a true cost of living measure, the city now has a standard standard on which to base human services wages to uphold the right to economic prosperity, dignify the work of 600,000 people, and stop ongoing inequitable systemic harms.
2:09:28
In charter section 16 Sorry for a.
2:09:31
Sorry.
2:09:32
Speaking slower than
Frederick Shack
2:09:34
I did at home.
2:09:35
In
Jennifer Geiling
2:09:36
charter section 16, the measure must report on social indicators and equity, including budgetary resources allocated to reduce poverty.
2:09:46
The city's current under resourcing is poverty inducing, not poverty reducing.
2:09:52
We respectfully submit the charter should require client services to be funded at a true cost of living and such funding to be recorded annually.
2:10:02
Thank you.