A new law in New York is set to raise the minimum wage for the city's security officers to more than $22 an hour, a change supporters say could improve the lives of tens of thousands of workers. The measure is named for a security guard who was killed while trying to protect others during last year's Midtown mass shooting.
The guard, Aland Etienne, was working at 345 Park Avenue and was trying to shut down the building's elevators to protect the people inside when he, along with three others, was killed on July 28 of last year. His actions during the attack have since been held up as an act of courage.
The law that carries his name, the Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act, is scheduled to take effect starting in January. From that point, the minimum wage for New York City security officers will rise to more than $22 an hour.
According to supporters, the measure is the first private sector minimum wage law in New York City in more than 60 years. That distinction underscores how unusual it is for the city to set a wage floor for a specific group of private sector workers.
The law does more than raise pay. It also phases in health benefits, paid vacation and holidays over the next two years, expanding the overall package of protections and benefits available to security officers across the city.
Officials say the changes could benefit nearly 82,000 security officers in New York City. The union backing the law argues that better pay and benefits are badly needed in a field where more than three out of four workers leave their jobs every year.
Advocates say many security officers ultimately decide that the risks of the job simply are not worth the pay, and that raising wages is a way to keep people in crucial roles. They frame the law as both a tribute to Etienne and a lasting change born out of the tragedy that took his life.