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Parks announces pay raises for NYC's summer lifeguards
By
Phil Corso
Published Apr 25, 2023
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KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images
By
Phil Corso
Published Apr 25, 2023
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The city has reached an agreement to give lifeguards a raise, weeks before the summer season officially kicks off.
City Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue announced the agreement with the union District Council 37 on Tuesday, which will increase pay for new and second-year seasonal lifeguards from the previous $16.10 to about $21.26 per hour. Lifeguards who work through mid-August will also be eligible for a bonus of $1,000.
The announcement comes after a lifeguard shortage led to unexpected closures at city beaches and long lines at city pools last year. In response, the city offered a temporary 22% pay bump to $19.46 an hour to lure more candidates and the Parks Department also made some reforms to the lifeguard test earlier this year when it launched a new recruitment campaign. Speaking to Gothamist in January, First Deputy Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa said the department was “very confident” that all beaches and parks will be open this summer.
Parks will also offer a mini-pool-specific lifeguard certification to make it easier for New Yorkers to become lifeguards.
In a statement, Donoghue emphasized the importance of lifeguards in creating safe environments for swimmers at public pools and beaches and praised their dedication to saving lives and making summer enjoyable for New Yorkers.
“The wellbeing of our swimmers is our number one priority, and lifeguards are essential to creating safe environments that all New Yorkers can enjoy," she said. "As we continue to build our lifeguard corps, we’re committed to supporting these critical staff who put their own safety at risk to save lives and make summer happen for millions of New Yorkers."
Qualifying exams for new lifeguards were held between December 2022 and March 2023, and those who worked as lifeguards in summer 2022 were encouraged to get their recertification with the city Parks Lifeguard School to serve again this summer.
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Phil Corso
Phil Corso is the evening news editor at WNYC/Gothamist. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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