NYC City Council Presses for More School Crossing Guards

At a rally on the steps of City Hall, elected officials, parents, and union members of local 372, called for increased funding for school crossing guards throughout New York City.

City Council member Brad Lander and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer said that while the initiatives under de Blasio’s Vision Zero are effective, the plan was missing a crucial piece: more crossing guards.

It's difficult to recruit and retain crossing guards, due to the job’s hazards, low wages, seasonal (instead of full-year) health benefits and a cap of 25 working hours a week. Vanessa Gibson, who chairs the City Council's Public Safety Commission, said the city needs more than its current 2,300 crossing guards.

“Our school crossing guards bring value to our communities, and they are the lifeblood of public safety for our children,” Gibson said.

Advocates called for an increase in wages from $9.88 an hour to $15 an hour and year-round health care. Donald Nesbit, the vice president of Local 372, which represents school crossing guards, said that job postings for crossing guard positions are currently only posted at precincts. “Only the criminals get to see that,” Nesbit said, “not people who actually need a job.”

“Vision Zero plans should not mean zero funding,” said Shaun Francois, the president of Local 372. He said if the city is serious about safety, more funding for school crossing guards needs to be included in the city budget.