A new rule being pushed in New York City would grant unions a significant amount of control over non-union projects. Proponents of the measure say it would be an important step toward holding builders and property owners accountable for worker safety. Critics of the bill say it is simply a power grab by unions who have lost a sizable portion of the city’s construction projects in recent years.
Are Profits More Important Than Worker Safety?
Of course not. Unfortunately, it is hard to tell whether everyone agrees with that sentiment. There have been more than 33 fatalities on NYC construction sites since 2015, showing that efforts to make worker safety a priority have lagged behind while real estate development profits have soared.
Is The Construction Boom Making Things Unsafe For Workers?
There is a construction boom in NYC right now, and that is great news for companies that build things. These companies are making plenty of money and seeing high levels of success. But the workers are the ones paying the price for all of that construction, because they are struggling to stay safe and get the job done the way it needs to be done. They may have to adjust what they do in order to accomplish something, and that adjustment can make workers unsafe. It puts them in positions that raise their risk of injury or death, but does not compensate them for doing so.
Until companies look beyond the shiny promise of a quick buck and focus on worker safety, families in NYC and surrounding areas will continue to pay the price in the form of lost loved ones.
The Status Quo Is Not Good Enough
At Block O’Toole & Murphy, we have dedicated our practice to making things right for injury victims and their families in New York City. We have seen firsthand the lasting damage of construction accidents and construction-related injuries, including crane collapses in our own neighborhood.
We will not be satisfied until such tragedies are a relic of the past. Ultimately, our government officials, property owners, contractors, and union leaders will all have to come together to make worker safety the number one priority. After all, what good are shiny new buildings decorating our skyline if they are built on a foundation of broken bodies and grieving families?
Until that day arrives, injured construction workers and their loved ones can look to our proven advocates to make things right for them.