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Mayor Adams Announces Deal With Lifeguard Union to Raise Wages for Lifeguards During 2022 Season, Fully Staff Mini Pools

July 6, 2022

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the city has reached a deal with the lifeguard union represented by District Council 37 to raise starting wages for lifeguards to $19.46 per hour this summer and develop a training program to fully staff the city’s 17 mini pools:

“Every New Yorker deserves to safely enjoy our city’s public pools and beaches this summer and my team has taken extraordinary measures to make that happen. Today we reached a deal with the lifeguard union to address the immediate needs of our pools.

“We negotiated for creation of a class of lifeguards who are restricted to mini pools and with this influx of mini pool guards we will be able to very quickly open all of our mini pools, an essential cooling center for young New Yorkers. We are also elevating, for this summer alone, lifeguard pay to $19.46 per hour, and to ensure our beaches and pools are guarded all summer long, we will pay a retention bonus in September to guards who work every week through the end of the summer season.

“Finally, we are collaborating across city agencies on a public safety presence to keep swimmers off closed sections of beach, and working with New York City Emergency Management, the New York City Fire Department, and the New York City Police Department to deploy complementary measures to keep New Yorkers safe.

“While these changes are a step in the right direction, our ability to safely open beaches and pools has been impacted by a national lifeguard shortage, and has also been held back by inefficient practices that are in dire need of further reform. We will continue to work closely to correct course on policies that don’t serve New Yorkers and pool resources from all agencies to ensure a fun and safe summer.”

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