NYC Hikes Snow Shoveler Pay To $30 An Hour After Blizzard Shortage

New York City is now paying $30 an hour to shovel snow.

After struggling to recruit enough emergency workers during a historic blizzard that dumped roughly 15 inches across the city, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a dramatic wage increase Monday in an effort to clear streets and sidewalks faster.

The hourly rate for emergency snow shovelers has jumped from $19.14 to $30. Overtime pay now rises to $45 per hour after 40 hours worked.

“Due to the historic nature of this blizzard, we’ve increased pay to $30 per hour,” Mamdani said. “All you need to bring is two forms of ID to ensure you get paid.”

City officials had hoped to recruit 1,400 emergency shovelers. But according to reports, the program initially failed to attract participants for hours after signups opened.

The contrast with previous storms is stark. In 2015, the city drew 6,454 shovelers during a major winter event. This time, even amid a declared emergency, participation lagged.

To put the numbers in perspective:

• 2,600 sanitation workers are part of the winter response

• More than 2,300 plows and 700 salt spreaders are deployed

• 1,600 crosswalks, 419 fire hydrants, and nearly 900 bus stops were cleared on the storm’s first night

Despite those resources, officials acknowledged that sidewalks particularly in residential areas remain a challenge.

The requirement that workers present two forms of identification to get paid sparked backlash over the weekend. Critics questioned why identification is required for temporary snow labor but not universally required for voting.

Mamdani defended the policy, saying federal employment law requires documentation for payment processing.

“Federal law requires that employers get authorization and documentation to pay people for their work,” he said.

The ID debate added another political layer to an already tense storm response.

The city is also cracking down on property owners who fail to clear sidewalks.

Mamdani warned that more than 4,000 violations were issued after the last storm. Fines range from:

• $150 for a first offense

• Up to $350 for repeat violations

Based on those numbers, the city collected between $600,000 and $1.4 million in penalties after the previous storm.

“We do not want to issue as many citations again,” Mamdani said, urging property owners to clear four-foot-wide paths to maintain accessibility for pedestrians, particularly those with disabilities.

With progress underway, Mamdani announced that schools will reopen. But many parents disagree.

A petition calling for a remote learning day has already gathered more than 100,000 verified signatures, reflecting concerns about lingering snowbanks and icy conditions.

As temperatures fluctuate and cleanup continues, New York City’s snow response has become not just a logistical challenge but a political flashpoint with higher wages, enforcement actions, and public frustration all colliding in the wake of one of the city’s most significant winter storms in years.

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