Mayor Bloomberg spent the morning rush hour Tuesday riding alongside a woman struggling to make ends meet in a struggling economy. NY1's Michael Scotto filed the following report.
Tuesday was a bit different for Annie Davis. The 54-year-old security officer welcomed Mayor Bloomberg into her home for breakfast and then took him along on her hour-long commute.
The two took a bus from her East New York apartment to the subway station, where they boarded a train for her job at the Lower Manhattan offices of the City's Health Department.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's meeting with Davis organized by Local 32BJ, the union that represents Davis and other security officers. As part of the union's endorsement process, they're getting the mayoral candidates to briefly observe the lives of those living paycheck to paycheck.
"We hope it gives them a better sense of what New Yorkers need," said 32BJ President Mike Fishman.
Last week, Bloomberg's rival, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, shadowed Lateef Rivers, who is a security officer at the Brooklyn Municipal Building. Both Rivers and Davis are employed by the private security firm, AlliedBarton, and work at city-owned buildings.
Supporting themselves financially is equally hard. Davis and Rivers earn about $11.75 an hour and don't get benefits or substantial health insurance.
"We need affordable adequate healthcare. That's one of the things we are struggling with," said Davis.
The union is threatening to strike if they can't reach a contract agreement with AlliedBarton. Thompson says the employees deserve healthcare.
"If a company like this isn't paying benefits, taxpayers are because in the end if Lateef ends up in the emergency room he's going to end on medicaid," said Thompson.
Bloomberg says he's not getting involved with negotiations, but says he understands what workers are going through.
"Everybody is worried about their health, the health of their families. Everybody is worried about healthcare," said Bloomberg.
Davis says she got the impression the mayor cared.
"I had a great morning with the Mayor. I wasn't nervous He's a person just like we are," said Davis.
