Story and Photo by Acacia Rodriguez

After years of exclusion, Local 299 Recreational Specialists are now eligible for disciplinary rights and enhanced job protections.

“The Recreational Specialist staff are now covered by the grievance procedure language for non-competitive employees, allowing members to fight against wrongful termination and disciplinary actions,” said Dejon Williams, President of Local 299.

Previously, the NYC Parks Department Recreational Specialist title was a temporary competitive title and the City indefinitely postponed the civil service exam for it. As perpetual provisional employees, their positions and hours were not guaranteed.

In April 2025, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) and the Parks Department sought to increase recruitment and retention by expanding acceptable experience for Recreation titles. DC 37 pointed to the Recreation Specialists’ temporary status as a barrier that kept members in a state of limbo with no civil service exam relief.

DCAS agreed and reclassified the title to non-competitive in July 2025. Experience in internships or job training programs were also added as acceptable qualifications. The union also secured layoff language that ensures all Recreational Specialists will be ranked by seniority and have protections against termination.

Recreational Specialists Keep New York Swimming

From figure skating to woodworking, Recreational Specialists with the Parks Department organize and lead classes for New Yorkers of all ages. Aquatics Recreational Specialists work year-round at indoor and outdoor pools teaching swim lessons at every level. They provide water safety instruction to adults, seniors, and New York City public school students, and coach swim teams who go on to compete — and win — in tournaments. Many of these dedicated instructors are also certified lifeguards, bringing an added level of expertise and safety to their work.

“Our line of work is different than that of a regular recreation specialist,” said Neftali Castillo Rosario, Aquatics Recreational Specialist. “We are required to have a water safety instructor certification, enabling us to work in the pools and teach water safety to all our participants.”

Castillo Rosario has been in his title for 12 years. Ever the swimmer, as a youth he joined the Boys Club of New York swim team.

“I was told by the Aquatics Director at the time that once I graduated high school, I could have a job and start paying bills and working full time,” he said. “I trained as a lifeguard as well as an instructor, and then got the position. I started working that summer and I’ve been with Parks ever since.”

Within the Parks Department, Recreational Specialists are in demand, as instructors are needed for the varied programming the city provides residents. Aquatics Division Recreational Specialists are unique in that they can fill in for other Recreational Specialists; however, without a water safety certificate and the physical requirement of being able to swim, other specialized instructors are unable to cover the Aquatics Division.

“My job is to literally come in and be in a pool, day in and day out, teaching people how to swim,” Castillo Rosario said. With the reclassification and more enticing protections for skilled instructors now in place, the number of Recreational Specialists can grow out of a historical shortage for these critical workers.

This article originally appeared in the January-March 2026 issue of PEPTalk Magazine.