After a strong winter storm, many neighborhoods in New York City are still covered in a significant amount of snow, with slow progress in clearing sidewalks, bus stops, and street corners, leading to dissatisfaction among residents. In response to rising public complaints, the New York City government has admitted that there is a shortage of manpower for snow removal and has announced an emergency mobilization to recruit temporary snow shovelers to assist in clearing the snow.
The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) stated that currently around 2,500 employees are mobilized daily in shifts of 12 hours each for snow shoveling and de-icing operations. However, due to the large amount of snowfall and the extensive areas to be cleared, manpower remains insufficient, resulting in delayed snow removal progress in some communities.
Numerous residents have reported to the media that days after the storm, sidewalks and public facilities near their homes are still covered with snow and ice, making walking difficult and posing safety hazards for the elderly and people with mobility issues, as well as increasing the risk of residents slipping and getting injured. Some residents have expressed that the pace of snow removal is “far below expectations.”
In light of this situation, the city government has officially launched an emergency recruitment mechanism for temporary snow shovelers to supplement the existing sanitation workforce. According to the city government’s announcement, the hourly wage for emergency snow shovelers starts at $19.14, with overtime pay increasing to $28.71 per hour for work exceeding 40 hours per week. The responsibilities of these workers mainly involve clearing snow from sidewalks, crosswalks, fire hydrants, and the areas around bus stops to ensure basic passage and public safety.
The city government is urging interested individuals to sign up as soon as possible. The registration link can be found at: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/forms/snow-laborer-registration
Furthermore, the city government is reminding residents to fulfill their legal obligations to clear snow from their own sidewalks and to exercise extra caution when going out in low temperatures and icy weather. Officials emphasize that once the temporary workforce is in place, priority will be given to addressing public areas that have not been cleared yet and where public complaints are more concentrated.