Staten Island Ferry union inks long-awaited contract with NYC marking first wage increase in 13 years
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Silive.com: Staten Island Ferry union inks long-awaited contract with NYC marking first wage increase in 13 years
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York City and the union representing Staten Island Ferry workers on Monday announced a long-awaited, historic agreement providing the first wage increase for the workforce in 13 years.
Standing on the deck of the Dorothy Day Ferry, officials signaled the end of laborious negotiations that resulted in the longest contract the city has ever negotiated — a 16-year deal that extends back from Nov. 7, 2010 to Jan. 4, 2027. It guarantees an average nearly-30% retroactive salary increase for approximately 150 people across multiple titles, from mates to engineers and captains.
In November of 2010, salaries for captains on the Staten Island Ferry was nearly $71,000. By the end of the new contract, that salary will raise to $180,000, said Office of Labor Relations (OLR) Commissioner Renee Campion. Assistant captains were earning $63,000, she said, but will now earn $138,000 by the beginning of 2027; and mates, who previously had $58,000 salaries, will experience a jump to around $124,000 by the close of the latest deal.
“The ferry is an essential 24 hour a day service for countless Staten Islanders,” said State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. “The men and women who keep it running deserve a contract that reflects the necessity of their work.”