A municipal union representing thousands of low-paid public school workers is launching a campaign to pressure Mayor de Blasio to pay its members a starting salary of at least $ 15 an hour, The Post has learned.
Local 372 says it’s outrageous that there will be school-crossing guards making less than $ 11 an hour and cafeteria workers making less than $ 14 an hour even after enactment of a new contract that runs through 2017.
The newly elected union leaders are especially miffed that numerous elected city officials are participating in protests to pressure fast-food restaurant chains such as McDonald’s to boost entry-level wages, but have been silent when it comes to government workers.
“Fighting inequality in New York state begins at home. Some of the worst examples of inequality exist in the public-school system — not just for students, but for people who work there,’’ said Local 372 president Shaun Francois.
Among other things, the union is exploring filing a discrimination suit claiming the city is underpaying its female employees who look after students in lunchrooms and at street crossings.
“Just as McDonald’s workers can’t live on wages of $ 200-$ 300 per week, neither can employees in the public schools, employees whose work touches the lives of our kids every day,” Local 372 said.
Aside from prodding City Hall at the bargaining table, the union is organizing a petition drive to place a referendum on a future election ballot stating that “No New York City Employee shall make less than $ 15/hour.”
For his part, de Blasio said he wants Albany to pass a law giving New York City the authority to set its own minimum wage up to 30 percent higher than the state’s, which is now $ 8 an hour.
That goes up to $ 8.75 next year and $ 9 in 2016.
But de Blasio stopped short of embracing a $ 15 minimum wage.
“We’re part of a growing coalition working to empower New York City to set a minimum wage up to 30 percent higher than the state’s. Winning that local control will lift up working families across the city,” said mayoral spokesman Wiley Norvell.
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said she could support raising the minimum wage to as high as $ 15, which would match the increase approved by Seattle earlier this year.
Gov. Cuomo initially opposed giving localities the right to set a higher minimum wage than the state’s. But he changed his tune after accepting the endorsement of the Working Families Party, which supports a higher minimum wage.
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