Chair Hudson and DHS discuss structural pay inequities across city agencies

Sorry, where are those positions?

I mean, there are other city jobs where security, I mean, I don't know this exactly,

I'll give an example of walking into City Hall and who's doing various roles in a much more administrative or different type of facility than, say, an ACS detention center or a homeless shelter.

And so we're working with our colleagues.

And you invited me to come to Tillery.

If you get the time, one of the best things that we get to do is attend the graduation of peace officers.

And it isn't just the DHS peace officers.

It's ACS.

It's HRA and others.

And it's tremendous to watch this group of people who have come together over an academy and how proud they are to be in those positions.

It's great to watch.

So if you want a good afternoon or morning whenever we have it, it is a good day.

I'm happy to come and would be delighted.

I bring this up and I did the same thing when I chaired the Committee on Aging.

It's that I find for populations.

That we generally do not value, like people in the shelter system, like people who are older adults, people who are aging.

The positions that we have, there's a lack of equity.

And so people who are doing the roles, whether it's a social worker in the Department for the Aging or a peace officer here at DHS or ACS,

You can have the same role, a similar title.

Usually it's more pay and less grueling work.

at a different city agency, and I just don't think that's right.

And I think if you're doing the same work, no matter which, especially if you're employed by the city, we should be paying everybody doing the same work, the same thing.

And so I just wanted to make sure that I could get that on the record.

I just don't think it's a...

I don't think it's a good practice.

And I think it's something that we absolutely need to overhaul.

And so with that, which of your colleagues are you working with to address that point specifically?

Yeah, I mean, there's just structural issues in the way the positions are set up.

So DCAS, but it's also some of it is state civil service.

And so position reclassifications have to be brought up through the state system as well.

But it's absolutely...

The mayor and the governor have a great relationship.

So perhaps this is something that...

It's important.

It is.

And I say that, you know, only partially in jest.

But, I mean, seriously, that's how these things get resolved.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you.

And I will mention it to both of them.