A recent legal filing alleges that the City of New York failed to pay emergency snow shovelers their earned wages on time or in full, raising concerns about wage practices affecting hundreds of seasonal workers. The complaint was filed by Jacob Jackson on March 20, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against the City of New York.
According to the complaint, Jackson worked as an Emergency Snow Shoveler during the 2025–2026 winter season and claims he was not fully compensated for his labor. The suit states that Jackson is acting on behalf of himself and others similarly situated who were employed by the city through its Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The case outlines allegations that some shovelers were not paid at all while others experienced delays stretching weeks or months beyond when work was performed.
The background provided in the court documents describes how each year before winter, DSNY hires a group of emergency snow shovelers to clear public areas after major storms. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, eligible to work in the United States, and able to perform heavy physical labor. Registration for these positions typically opens each fall and closes once roles are filled or the season ends without additional storms. For the 2025–2026 season, more than 2,500 people reportedly registered for these jobs.
Jackson details his own experience: after registering online on November 24, 2025, he attended an onboarding appointment at Bklyn Garage 16 in Brooklyn on December 4, where he completed paperwork and received an identification badge. He recalls working approximately 21 days throughout December 2025, January 2026, and February 2026—typically eight-hour shifts beginning at either 7:00 a.m. or 8:00 a.m.—and being required to sign attendance sheets at both arrival and departure.
Despite this recordkeeping process supervised by DSNY employees, Jackson alleges significant gaps between hours worked and payment received. He reports receiving only two checks covering a total of sixteen hours out of roughly one hundred sixty-eight hours worked over three months. One paycheck covered eight hours from February 1–7 but was not issued until March 6; another covered eight hours from February 22–28 despite him working forty hours that week. Both checks reflected payment at $19.14 per hour rather than higher rates publicly announced by city officials during blizzard conditions in late February—$30 per hour with overtime up to $45 per hour.
The complaint references news articles describing similar experiences among other snow shovelers: delayed payments ranging from four to twelve weeks after work was performed and instances where workers were told they would be paid only “at the end of the season.” A DSNY spokesperson is quoted admitting that wage payments had been delayed by four to six weeks during recent storms.
Jackson’s legal claims center on alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including failure to pay minimum wage for all hours worked and failure to issue timely payments as required by law. The suit asserts that these practices were intentional and widespread across all five boroughs where DSNY operates its fifty-nine garages.
The plaintiff seeks several forms of relief from the court: a declaration that these wage practices are unlawful; an injunction preventing further violations; certification allowing other affected workers to join as plaintiffs; disclosure from the city identifying all impacted individuals; compensation for unpaid wages with interest; liquidated damages equal to unpaid amounts; attorneys’ fees; costs; and any additional relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Attorneys representing Jackson include Innessa M. Huot, Shawn R. Clark, and Kathryn A. Hettler from Faruqi & Faruqi LLP based in New York City. The case is identified as Civil Action No.: 1:26-cv-02320.
Source: 126cv02320_Jacob_Jackson_v_City_of_New_York_Complaint_Southern_District_of_New_York..pdf
