Two months after a gunman killed four people at Rudin Management’s 345 Park Avenue, the City Council introduced a measure that would set minimum wages for security guards and increase training requirements.
The Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act, named for one of the security guards killed in the building’s lobby, would set minimum hourly wages and benefits for non-government security guards. The wage floor would have to be at least as much as prevailing wages, which are union-level rates set annually. For unarmed guards in 2026, that rate ranges from $18.02 per hour (plus benefits) to $21.20 (depending on time on the job), and for armed guards, $32.70.
The debate over this bill is a familiar one: Union leaders are pushing for a wage floor that building owners and nonunion contractors view as an unlawful market intervention. High wages and benefits means the cost of security would increase for building owners, if they are not already paying for union wages.
Supporters of the bill, including the building service workers’ union 32BJ SEIU, say the increase in wages and training would improve retention in the industry and therefore, lead to more experienced officers who are better prepared for emergencies. They also emphasize that wages should better reflect the risk of the job.
Opponents, including the Real Estate Board of New York, counter that the measure undermines labor negotiations and is barred by state law.
During a hearing on Thursday held by the City Council’s Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, security guards testified about the perils of their jobs. Raven Skinner, who works at 345 Park, recalled that she would often fill in for Etienne when he was on break. She worked an earlier shift the day of the shooting.
“I was there that day,” she said. “That could have been me.”
Rachel Paoli, Etienne’s partner, tearfully urged the Council to pass the bill, saying that the measure was a fitting legacy for someone who “always looked after others.”
“In his final moments, he tried to protect others by shutting down the elevator to save his coworkers,” she said.
City officials indicated that Etienne tried to push a panic button to shut down the building’s elevator banks. The gunman, Shane Tamura, was trying to reach the NFL’s headquarters when he mistakenly took the elevator to the 33rd floor, where Rudin has its offices. There, he shot and killed Julia Hyman, an associate at Rudin, before turning the gun on himself.
Paoli also spoke about wanting more support for families of security guards, noting that her and Etienne’s seven year-old-son is afraid every time she leaves the house, fearing that, like Etienne, she won’t return safely.
Through a spokesperson, Rudin declined to comment on the legislation.
32BJ President Manny Pastreich pointed to an August report by the UC Berkeley Labor Center, which found that New York City’s security services industry had a 77 percent turnover rate in 2024.
“This constant churn saps workforce experience and risks undermining public safety in our city,” he said.
He said the bill would also ensure an “even playing field for contractors,” and help lift a predominantly Black and Latino workforce out of poverty. His union represents 20,000 security guards in the city.
For nonunion security contractors, that could mean losing the competitive edge they had by offering lower pricing.
Steve Amitay, executive director of the National Association of Security Companies, which represents private security firms, said the wage requirements would lead to job loss as building owners opt for alternatives, such as security technology or shifting security responsibilities in-house. He noted that clients have limited security budgets.
The bill requires the city to approve security guard training schools, which would teach courses related to responding to violence, deescalating interactions with someone suffering from a mental health crisis, first aid and other topics. Amitay said some of the bill’s training requirements duplicate state-mandated instruction and questioned whether they would help avoid incidents like the shooting at 345 Park.
“That was a tragedy,” he said in an interview. “When somebody is intending to kill people, and they have an AR-15, and they have malice in their heart, no amount of training is going to be able to stop that.”
Amitay reiterated this point during Thursday’s hearing, pointing out that Didarul Islam, an off-duty NYPD officer who was killed in the shooting, was highly trained.
Council member Julie Menin, who chairs the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection, called Amitay’s testimony “insensitive” and “callous.” In a back and forth with the Council member, Amitay acknowledged that better pay and training would improve security.
“You just contradicted yourself,” Menin said.
Menin also insisted that the City Council has the authority to set minimum wage standards for the industry.
That is another point of contention that could result in litigation if the bill passes.
REBNY submitted testimony arguing that the city doesn’t have the authority to set its own minimum wage rates. The group also said the measure disrupts negotiations between the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, which represents building owners, and 32BJ. The parties establish prevailing wages through collective bargaining agreements.
“By making the minimum wage for the entire industry equivalent to the collectively-bargained wage rate, the legislation fundamentally undermines the value of collective bargaining and impermissibly intrudes on the collective-bargaining process,” the group stated in written testimony.
In the waning days of the Adams administration, the bill seems to have momentum. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who is sponsoring the bill, said during a press conference on Wednesday that she expects the measure to pass.
“The cost of living for folks who would literally die for you and me needs to be addressed,” she said.
Members of the administration did not testify at the hearing. Menin highlighted their absence, which she called “shocking and appalling.”
A City Hall spokesperson did not acknowledge Menin’s comments, but said the administration “deeply appreciates the critical role that security guards play in maintaining public safety.” The spokesperson also said the legislation “warrants further review to ensure we fully understand how it aligns with existing state requirements.”
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