Lifeguards Win Major Changes
We just successfully conducted a long campaign that started last November and included many meetings where we spoke to the Parks and Recreation Board and Austin City Council, as well as having individual meetings with city council members, staff for the mayor of Austin, the PARD director, and the Chief of Staff to the City Manager. We also created a petition that more than 620 people signed and created this website. We generated lots of emails to city council members and spoke to the media over and over. In the end, we won some MAJOR CHANGES regarding improved pay and benefits for lifeguards that will go a long way to decreasing the likelihood of future lifeguard shortages. What did we accomplish?
An increase in the living wage from $15 to $20. The final pay rates for different lifeguard positions have not been set yet, but Barton Springs guards will earn more than $20/hour.
13 full-time lifeguards with full benefits! There have never been any full-time lifeguards in Austin. This will ensure that Barton Springs never closes again for two days a week as it did in spring 2022 because of a shortage of Open Water Lifeguards.
Paid training during the 40 hour lifeguard course for new lifeguards and the 20 hour course for returning lifeguards! This has never been done anywhere in the USA as far as we know.
Bonuses again in 2023 for lifeguard hiring and retention!
Optional dental insurance for ALL eligible City of Austin temporary employees who buy health insurance through the City of Austin! This will benefit over 150 people as of now who are classified as “temporary” employees for the City of Austin, including some lifeguards.
We send heartfelt thanks to all the people who helped us accomplish these goals, especially Austin City Council Members Vanessa Fuentes, Chito Vela, Paige Ellis, and Ann Kitchen who each sponsored motions on our issues to include them in the budget or as riders, plus the other council members who voted yes to approve lifeguard issues. We also thank PARD Director Kimberly McNeeley for accepting certain reforms such as paid training and full-time lifeguards, and the many members of the Austin media who covered the lifeguard shortage and did stories on our campaign to end the shortage and open all pools in the future.