A new bill named in honor of the security guard killed in a mass shooting at a Midtown office this summer aims to establish better working conditions for security guards across New York City.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams unveiled the Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act at a press conference on Thursday alongside members of Etienne’s family. She said the measure would direct the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to set and enforce minimum wage standards, paid sick and vacation leave, benefits and training requirements for security guards and employers.
“Security officers are integral to New York City's public safety infrastructure — safeguarding our offices, homes, cultural institutions and so much more,” Adams said. “They put their lives on the line and sacrifice so much to protect New Yorkers. Yet, our city’s security guards are not always compensated or treated like the essential workers they are.”
Most local security guards are working-class Black and Latino New Yorkers, she added, noting they are “underpaid, overworked, and not supported enough by our city.” The bill would create channels for the city’s more than 80,000 security guards to learn about their obligations and rights as well as submit complaints about potential workplace violations, according to Adams. She said one of its goals is to reduce turnover among security guards.
Etienne was one of four people shot and killed at a Park Avenue office building on July 28, when, police said, Las Vegas resident Shane Tamura entered with an assault rifle and opened fire. The security guard was working in the lobby at the time and tried to prevent the shooter from using the elevator before he was gunned down, according to city officials.
“Aland died a hero,” his brother Smith Etienne said at the press conference at City Hall. “We’re here today so another security officer doesn't have to take that heroic act.”
Smith Etienne said his brother did not have a bulletproof vest at the time of the shooting. He said security guards should receive better training and equipment to deal with gun violence.
Aland Etienne had two young sons and was a member of the 32BJ SEIU union, according to his family. He immigrated from Haiti and moved to the city from Florida a few years ago.
“Aland represents the immigrants who come from around the world to build a better life,” 32BJ President Manny Pastreich said Thursday. “He represents the essential workers who deserve to be better paid and their work properly valued, and he represents what we need in this country to keep this country safe and secure.”
The bill will have to go through the Council’s hearing and markup process before eventually coming to a vote. Adams said she would formally introduce it at a legislative meeting Thursday afternoon.
