The city’s 185,000 construction workers would have to undergo up to 55 hours of safety training under a bill approved Wednesday by the City Council – a measure labor unions view as necessary for safety, but developers say will hobble non-union employers.
The controversial legislation, which passed 42-0, would “develop a program to provide equal access to construction site safety training” and require all workers receive 40 to 55 hours of training with periodic refresher courses.
Violations could result in fines of up to $25,000.
The bill’s passage came after several work site deaths involving union and non-union workers.
“We’ve had too many deaths on these construction sites,” said Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “We cannot sit idly by and allow this to continue.”
Opponents of the bill, which is expected to be approved by Mayor de Blasio, argue that because non-union workers move from job to job more than union workers, the cost of training is more likely to fall to them.
John Banks, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, predicted the bill could put “thousands of hardworking New Yorkers out of a job.”
All workers are currently required to get at least 10 hours of training if working on a building 10 stories or taller.
But union laborers are more likely to receive training, which is typically paid for by the union.
Most of the bill would go into effect as soon as de Blasio signs off on it, with training thresholds and the level of fines phased in over time, beginning in March.
Councilman Jumaane Williams, one of the bill’s sponsors, estimated more than 22 training providers would be available for workers.
The city is putting up $5 million for the initial training.
“We can do more detail later,” he said. “To get started in a real way, we needed some real commitment. No one can tell me that $5 million is not a real commitment.”
Source: NY
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