NEW YORK – New York City has reached an agreement to increase lifeguard starting wages to $19.46 per hour and develop a training program to fully staff all 17 mini-pools in the five boroughs, most of which are they remained empty, but filled with water, over the bank holiday weekend.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the agreement with the lifeguard union represented by the 37th Ward Council on Tuesday. Under the terms of the agreement, the city will create a class of lifeguards who will be restricted to mini pools, which are smaller pools that are usually relegated to playgrounds, sometimes near schools, in the five boroughs.
The Democrat says the influx of dedicated lifeguards to hot tubs will allow the city to “open them up very quickly,” which he said will provide essential relief for New Yorkers during the summer. Adams also said that for this summer alone, the lifeguard’s starting hourly wage would rise to $19.46, and lifeguards who work every week through the end of the summer season will earn a retention bonus in September.
The City will also collaborate on public safety to keep beachgoers away from closed sections of the beaches and will develop complementary measures to keep New Yorkers safe.
“All New Yorkers deserve to safely enjoy our city’s public pools and beaches this summer and my team has taken extraordinary steps to make that happen,” Adams said in a statement Tuesday. “Today we reached an agreement with the Lifeguards Union to address the immediate needs of our pools.”
“While these changes are a step in the right direction, our ability to safely open beaches and pools has been affected by a nationwide lifeguard shortage and also held back by inefficient practices that are in dire need of further reform.” “, he added. “We’ll continue to work closely to course correct policies that don’t serve New Yorkers and bring together the resources of all agencies to ensure a fun and safe summer.”
Most of New York City’s hot tubs languished empty over the holiday weekend. Others opened but for fewer hours. As of last week, the city had about 720 lifeguards, up from 500 a month ago. But that was half the number needed to fully staff all of its public pools and beaches.
The hope is that raising hourly wages for those workers will attract recruits. Meanwhile, most of the 51 outdoor pools are open, but some have limitations.