NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Security guards who work at privately-run homeless shelters in New York City are in line for a pay hike.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced the city will commit $40.5 million in the city's budget to provide prevailing wages for security guards.
For Shaquille Sheppard, this is life changing.
"Growing up I lived in a homeless shelter with my mother, but now I'm under the constant fear that I could become homeless again at any time," said Sheppard, who works at a shelter in Queens. "I make $16 an hour, my mother doesn't work because she's disabled. I can barely afford rent even with government assistance."
The security guards will soon be making $18.45 an hour, up from as low as $15 an hour.
"For over 4,000 working families their lives are going to change this year... $40 million will be in the city's budget to provide better pay, better working standards for these shelter security workers," de Blasio said. "If we don't fund it directly, it may not happen."
"Security officers in shelters are protecting our most vulnerable New Yorkers, but for too long they were not getting the wages they deserve. This agreement finally guarantees these essential workers a prevailing wage. This is great news, and comes at an important time. They’ve spent the past year helping our city through its darkest hours, and now we’re looking out for them,” said Johnson.
The guards will also get benefits, including family health care.
"I don't have health insurance because I simply cannot afford the plan my employer is offering. that's because the private security jobs are poverty jobs," said Sheppard.
The new wages will take effect October 1, 2021.