I've been working at Shea Stadium since 2001. I also receive Social Security. The second.year at Shea, Social Security gave me a raise. The third year at Shea, they gave me over 3,000 dollars plus a monthly increase of $240 just because I work with World of Work.
I have to report my income to World of Work every month. I take my medicine as prescribed and I see my doctor and therapist when I'm supposed too.
I got sick when I was in the army at the age of 17. I was discharged at 19 and I never had a job that lasted a long time until I was 42. Working at Shea is my first real job. I worked hard the first few years at Shea. I even made supervisor when the regular supervisor was out sick; I was in charge. My title is maintenance man.
I clean the concession stands. I make close to $7.00 per hour. I'm in the union, which keeps me from getting fired. This union is called Local 153. It's the same as the teacher’s union.
Last year, the supervisor put me to work cleaning the sausage portables. I moved up now and work on my own. Nobody tells me what to do anymore. I used to pick up heavy mats then sweep the floors in the concessions stands, wipe the counters, clean and change the oil in the fryers, scrub the hotdog grills, scrub the mats, and wipe the small refrigerators from top to bottom.
Working for these four years made me a good worker. Now I know how to make time and how to kill time. The worker before me who used to clean the sausage portables used to reach the upper deck at 1:00 O'clock p.m. I can be there at 11:00 O'clock a.m. My hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sometimes it’s 12:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
On the morning shift we get free breakfast and lunch: fresh cooked eggs with ham, cheese, onions, bacon, round sausage, long sausage, pancakes, waffles, syrup, potatoes, different breads toasted with jelly, butter or margarine, oatmeal, cereals, coffee, tea, orange juice, cranberry juice and apple juice. For lunch, a variety of different foods and juices, sodas, fruit and watermelon salads, green salads, regular salads too.
I saw Mayor Bloomberg's helicopter in the parking lot giving free rides to managers. I saw Bruce Springsteen before his concert. I see the Mets players all the time. I like working at Shea. If at any time I get sick from day to day with a different excuse each time, the union will protect me from getting fired.