A new Public Citizen report reveals that in New York City,
most construction fatalities occur at sites where state-approved training
programs are not required. In 2011 and 2012, 36 construction workers died on
the job in New York City, and 72% of those fatalities occurred on sites where
workers did not participate in state-approved training and apprenticeship
programs.
Existing laws set training requirements for construction
contractors under city contract, and the city also funds construction projects
through “public benefit corporation” entities that publicly finance projects
through tax incentive financing. However, these projects lack the same worker
training requirements as projects under city contractors.
The Safe Jobs Act, which is pending in the New York City
Council, aims to ensure training for all construction workers on
taxpayer-funded projects, not just those working under city contracts. Other
elements of the bill include requiring construction companies to disclose violations
of labor, tax, or safety and health laws, and requiring companies working on
projects larger than $1 million that are taxpayer-supported to run
apprenticeship programs.