City Council Member Jumaane Williams (Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) today called the proposed bill requiring construction workers to go through apprenticeship programs a starting point and that he expects it to go through several changes before it comes to the floor for a vote.
The bill, Intro 1447 is one in a package of 21 proposed construction safety bills that the council is eying for passage in light of a rising spike in construction deaths — from 17 in the city in 2011 to 25 in 2015. However, this bill, which applies to work sites of 10 stories or larger as well as to demolition work sites of four stories or larger, has become a huge bone of contention between union and non-union workers.
The unions argue that apprenticeship requirements swill save lives because of the safety measures they teach. Non-union workers and contractors that hire them say there are multiple ways to achieve better safety standards on work sites, and that the apprenticeship programs are a backdoor way for the unions, to curtail the proliferation of open shop sites that have both union and non-union workers.
Non-union worker arguments were supported this week from about 50 tenant association officers from NYCHA complexes around the city who wrote a letter to Williams and the measure’s other co-sponsor City Council Member Carlos Menchaca (Sunset Park, Red Hook) arguing the apprenticeship requirement would mean a less diverse workforce.
“This apprenticeship mandate would exclude many black and Hispanic public housing residents from construction jobs,” they wrote. “Apprenticeships are virtually all run by construction unions that have a history of racial discrimination and lack the diversity of New York’s non-union contractors.”
The matter came to a bitter head this week when Williams and Menchaca held a closed-door meeting with invited union and non-union officials and contractors. The purpose of the meeting was to get everybody on the same page in regards to training so that construction sites can be more safe, said Williams.
One of the people invited was Martin “ab” Allen, a black union card holder, who also supports open shop construction sites, and has a company that helps people of color get jobs in the construction industry. He brought Wyckoff Gardens resident Charlene Nimmons, one of the NYCHA residents who signed the letter.
Nimmons has run a program since 2009 that hires building and construction professionals to come into NYCHA developments to train and certify residents in OSHA (Occupational Safety and Heath Administration) standards. However, once Nimmons identified herself as a NYCHA resident, she was thrown out of the meeting, which prompted a Twitter war between Williams and Nimmons.
Williams said Nimmons was thrown out because the meeting wasn’t for discussing NYCHA issues, but to talk about safety on construction site, and that he would be happy to meet with her to discuss both.
Nevertheless, Williams said he welcomes pushback from the community of color and others about the measure, and that he is aware of concerns about the perceptions of lack of diversity in construction unions .
“I won’t support anything that takes away from diversity and I understand why people are concerned,” said Williams. “I am happy for criticisms and people pushing back. I have said before and will say again that this bill is not about apprenticeships per se, it’s to ensure more safety measures are in place for construction workers. This is one bill in a package of 21 bills dealing with safety on construct sites.
Williams will hold a hearing Tuesday on the measure before the Buildings Committee which he chairs. This bill is just an introduction and it won’t come up for a vote ay the meeting, he said.
Williams said if the bill does come up for a vote it will very likely go through several changes that will adhere to its intent, which is to ensure a level of safety on construction sites that will save lives.
