City Hall, NY — On Thursday April 29th following the NYC Council’s Stated Meeting, a rally was held at City Hall with over 1,000 union members calling to restore retirement benefits to New York City’s uniformed sanitation employees. The demonstration was led by Teamsters Local 831 President Dennis Schock, the union that represents sanitation workers in New York City.
“Every day The Strongest show up for our city, and today we as Council Members are here to show up for them,” said Council Member Justin E. Sanchez. “We ask them every day to do the least glamorous, yet most essential work that our city has to offer, and our policies need to reflect that. They deserve benefits that match the value of their service, honor the sacrifices they make, and deliver the dignity they’ve earned.”
In its current form, Tier 3 modified cuts sanitation workers’ pensions by 50% of their Social Security benefit at age 62. It also requires 22 years of service in order to assume full retirement eligibility; most uniformed city workers retirement plans take effect at 20 years. All members of Local 831 who were hired after April 2012 are affected by both of these policies.
There is pending legislation in the State Senate which will restore full benefits to all Local 831 members. S4667A would remove the Social Security reduction, allowing workers to collect their full pension without any offset, in addition to their full Social Security benefit. S7414 would restore a 20-year retirement plan for uniformed sanitation workers.
When most of the city is asleep, the 7,000 sanitation workers are hauling tons of waste off city sidewalks. These Uniformed Sanitation Employees pick up an estimated 12,000 tons of trash off the city streets every day. In the wake of massive snow storms, pest epidemics, the establishment of a new Solid Waste Management Plan, and major events taking place in New York City every day, The Strongest have stood up and answered the call.
“New York’s sanitation workers do some of the toughest, most essential work in this city. They show up in every condition to keep our streets clean and our neighborhoods running. Every New Yorker relies on their commitment and hard work,” said Council Member Virginia Maloney. “A 20-year pension is not a perk, it is a recognition of that reality. Proposed changes like Tier 3 Modified and the Social Security offset put that security at risk. We should be focused on protecting what they have earned and ensuring they can retire with dignity. I stand with Local 831 and New York’s Strongest in calling for fairness, respect, and a retirement system that reflects the value of their service.”
“Our sanitation workers are essential to keeping New York City running smoothly and safely and they deserve full rights and protections for their hard work,” said Council Member Harvey Epstein. “Tier 3 needs to be modified to reflect their commitment to this great city to ensure a strong and committed work force. The City Council must do everything in our power to improve their system and give our workers the support they need.”
