THE CITY Scoop: Proposed Salary Boosts Would Do Little to Help Struggling EMT’s, Labor Leaders Say

View this email in your browser Dear New Yorkers, The mayor recently cheered a big contract deal with the city’s largest municipal worker union. But one group of labor leaders is saying loud and clear: Count us out. Union reps for thousands of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics say the agreement between Mayor Eric Adams and District Council 37 will barely do anything to address the huge pay gap between frontline responders — who currently make a salary that starts at the equivalent of $18.94 an hour — and uniformed officers like firefighters and police. EMTs and paramedics are compensated as civilian workers despite facing many of the same risks on the job as first responders in uniform, they say. “It's frustrating. And that's why we have a retention issue. We lose five to 10 people every week that are resigning,” said Oren Barzilay, president of FDNY EMS Local 2507. Read more here. Some other items of note: More than three years after the Flushing Aquatic Center pool shut its doors in January 2020 for repairs that were supposed to take “at least six weeks,” the swimming facility reopened. A planned roof reconstruction will require the pool to close again in a couple years, however, and the borough’s only other indoor public pool is also scheduled to close for repairs.  . The city’s once thriving film and television production industry has hit a snag as work booms in New Jersey, Georgia and elsewhere, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul and industry representatives.  They say that a New York tax credit incentive program must be made more generous as other locations up the ante. “The competitive landscape has changed dramatically,” the president of Steiner Studios told THE CITY. “What does ‘Home’ mean to you?” That’s the question retiree/artist Judith Rubenstein asks of unhoused New Yorkers for accordion-style booklets containing their replies. See how New York City is doing with our newsroom’s economic recovery tracker. For the latest local numbers on COVID-19 vaccinations, testing rates and more, check ur coronavirus tracker. Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Tuesday's Weather Rating: 3/10. Snow and a wintry mix will gradually come to an end this morning. Clouds will be slow to clear, and highs will only reach near 40 as a result. Improving weather and chilly tonight. The vibes are wintry out there!! THE KICKER: Cardi B has a new gig … as mentor to the police? The rapper made an appearance at the NYPD Police Academy in Queens for a police mentorship program. The New York Post speculated that her appearance there was part of her court-ordered community service stemming from a 2018 strip club fight, but that didn’t dampen the mood; video shows her dancing in front of the classroom to raucous applause. Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday. Love, THE CITY P.S. If you liked something about today's newsletter, or didn't, let us know at zshah@thecity.nyc Always free. Always NYC. Support our journalism today. Copyright © 2023 THE CITY, All rights reserved.