Olympic-Sized Facility
Flushing Pool Might Privatize Lifeguards

By REUVEN BLAU

The Parks Department is considering privatizing 80 fulltime Lifeguard and pool maintenance positions at its newly designed Olympic-sized pool in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens, which is scheduled to open in October.

DENNIS SULLIVAN: Union won't take a dive.

"We are really right now just taking in the different proposals," said Parks spokeswoman Abigail Lootens. "We are considering all our options."

Union Wasn't Notified

District Council 37's chief negotiator, Dennis Sullivan, said that he had not heard about the city's plans to privatize what will be the largest city recreation center, which was redesigned to improve the city's unsuccessful bid to land the Summer Olympic Games in 2012.

"If the information is correct, the union would consider this a very serious matter and would exercise all our rights in this matter," Mr. Sullivan asserted during a phone interview last week. "But we have not heard that this is fact."

The Parks Department, however, has issued a Request for Proposal seeking a vendor to run the facility, which also includes an NHL-standard ice rink. "The proposals have not been reviewed yet," Ms. Lootens said in an e-mail.

New York City Lifeguard Local 461 President Franklin Paige and Lifeguard Supervisors Local 508 President Peter Stein did not return several calls seeking comment. Mr. Stein's receptionist initially indicated that he was in the field, but later claimed that he was away on vacation.

One union official, however, noted that provisions in DC 37's contract require the city to notify the union any time it plans to privatize positions that have traditionally been handled by city workers. Union members run the city's 52 other pools.

New Place, New Rules?

But the Parks Department contends those rules don't apply. "Being that Flushing Meadows Corona Park Pool and Rink is a new facility, which is currently not open nor staffed, the local law covering privatization does not apply since there is no job displacement," said Ms. Lootens. "Therefore, being that there is no job displacement, we are not required to notify the union. Also, because there are currently no jobs, there are no jobs at stake to lose."

She pointed out that many Parks facilities are currently operated by private companies, including many ice skating rinks and several recreation centers.

But union officials indicated that this would be the first city pool to be operated by a private firm.

"The agency went down this path before, and in my experience over the years, privatization doesn't work in the parks and is not cost-effective," said Local 983 President Mark Rosenthal, who represents several of the titles that stand to be affected. "This is some proposal that came from somebody in Queens; it has not been finalized by the Parks Commissioner."

The $60-million project will provide a year-round facility for competitive and recreational use. The 110,000-square-foot facility is uniquely designed with a cable-supported roof system that will allow for potential expansion for a larger venue, according to the city.

The pool and diving tank will be on the second floor, with views of the park. It will have a movable floor, creating the potential to have recreational swimming and competitive events simultaneously.