By MIKE LEE

As negotiations for a unit contract continue, the City’s Lifeguards agreed to a deal on salary increases and retention bonuses for seasonal and chief lifeguards beginning this summer. The Feb. 1 agreement between the Parks and Recreation Department and DC 37 is a lifesaver for the frontline workers who keep the City’s beaches and swimming pools safe.

In the last decade, City Lifeguards have performed many rescues, particularly at beaches like Rockaway Beach in Queens, known for dangerous riptides. Last fall, the DC 37 members celebrated a significant milestone of 10 consecutive seasons without a drowning while on duty.

Many incoming lifeguards are just out of high school but quickly adapt to the responsibilities of staying alert for long hours, at times called on to save lives at the City’s eight public beaches and 53 outdoor pools.

Lifeguards are well-trained in CPR, first aid, and rescue techniques. Faced with the after effects of the pandemic and historically uncompetitive pay, the City realized help was needed to retain these young workers in the face of a national lifeguard shortage.

With swim season approaching, the union pressed forward with the Parks Department to negotiate on behalf of the Lifeguards for retention incentives and higher wages. Immediate action needed to be taken to maintain the staffing necessary to safely cover the City’s beaches and pools.

After intense negotiations by the union, Parks agreed to increase Seasonal Lifeguard’s permanent hourly wages to $22 an hour and include a $1,000 bonus for Seasonal Lifeguards and Chief Lifeguards working through this summer’s peak season, generally from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

“We’re proud to have negotiated a $22 per hour wage and $1,000 retention bonus for our lifeguards,” DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said at the conclusion of negotiations. “While we battle the same shortages facing the rest of the country, this new agreement gives the City a competitive edge while preparing for the summer and continuing our members’ legacy of keeping area pools and beaches safe.”