The MTA paid $193 million to hire contractors early in the pandemic to keep NYC subways and stations safe and clean from the spread of COVID-19, according to New York Daily News. They were tasked with washing down the cars in the middle of the night to not disturb other essential workers doing their jobs during the day.
Yet, this past Tuesday, NYC Transit President Rich Davey announced that the MTA will be hiring full-time subway cleaners instead of the previous contractors. Already, 150 workers have been hired for full-time positions, with a total goal of 800 to be hired.
The announcement was made after a meeting at MTA headquarters to discuss the management and status of NYC’s various stations across the boroughs.
These hiring efforts are all part of the MTA’s continuous mission to improve the cleanliness of NYC subways.
Davey told New York Daily News that the MTA had received 75,000 applicants for the job, as they’ve been hiring full-time subway cleaners since the fall of 2022. “Right now we’re hiring about 40 a month,” shared Davey.
Though applications are closed, the previous job posting outlines the duties of a subway cleaner such as:
- Sweep and wash steps, platforms, mezzanines, toilets, related rooms and enclosures
- Measure and mix cleaning chemicals
- Clean biological waste and sanitize impacted areas
- Operate cleaning equipment, including pressure washers, vacuums and sweepers
- Perform simple maintenance work on previously listed equipment
- Shovel snow and related weather tasks
Compensation begins at $19.03/hour with the opportunity to reach $31.71 after six years with the MTA. Benefits include a transportation pass, a pension plan, paid holiday and vacation, among others perks.
Beyond the subway system, NYC is continuing to improve its public transportation with a new express ferry route launching today (March 8th, 2023) that will speed up the commute from Bay Ridge to Wall Street. Read more about this new ferry route here.