‘Staff the Front Lines’ aims to recruit, retain workers in public sector

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Encouraging New Yorkers to apply for public service jobs, the “Staff the Front Lines’ initiative held a press conference Monday to kick off its bus tour.

Local leaders met with unions to sound the alarm on staffing shortages creating problems in the public sector.

The “Staff the Front Lines’ initiative is designed to help recruit and retain essential workers in more than 20 cities across the country.

“There are multiple vacancies at the schools. We have our supervisors go in and they’re filling in a lot at buildings that are short staff because there isn’t enough people,” Angelo Palmerini, president of Bente Local 2419, said.

Union leaders plan to launch a website to help New Yorkers easily find open union jobs in the public sector.