PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Demos Demopoulos, Secretary Treasurer of Joint Council 16 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
1:54:16
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138 sec
Demos Demopoulos, representing the Teamsters Joint Council 16, testified against increasing penalties for idling infractions and urged for a reimagining of idling regulations and citizen complaints. He emphasized the impact of fines on small companies and individual employees, and highlighted efforts by companies to use renewable energies and reduce emissions.
- Stressed that increased fines could incentivize "outrageous and sometimes illegal behavior" by vigilantes reporting idling
- Pointed out that small companies and even employees sometimes bear the burden of these fines
- Mentioned the use of renewable diesel fuel and electric vehicles by companies to reduce emissions
Demos Demopoulos
1:54:16
Thank you.
1:54:17
Good afternoon.
1:54:17
My name is Dimos Tomopoulos, and I'm Secretary Treasure of Joint Council 16 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
1:54:24
Thank you, Chair Genero and the other members of the committee.
1:54:27
For the opportunity to testify before you this afternoon.
1:54:30
I'm here today representing both leadership of Teamsters Joint Council 16 and its 1000 actually a 120,000 rank and file members many of whom a truck driver is working in New York City.
1:54:44
It's on behalf of them that we strongly urge the laws regulating idling engines and citizen couplings be fully reimagined before the committee even considers the law increasing penalties for idling infractions.
1:54:57
Having fines jump from 350, and I I heard testimony from DP that's even gonna be higher than that.
1:55:05
Only sort of further incentivizing outrageous and sometimes the illegal behavior of the vigilantes earning thousands to allegedly catch idling drivers.
1:55:15
I just wanna state also that it's not only the big companies that are getting hit with this.
1:55:20
It's also the small companies.
1:55:23
And in some cases, even the employee winds up having to pay.
1:55:29
These small companies cannot sustain these kinds of fines and operate a business, particularly if their teams or employees, to provide the benefits and the wages that their contracts demand.
1:55:43
And they're happy to do so, but sometimes they have a rough time.
1:55:49
If the goal is idling legislation encouraged business to invest in renewable energies, raising fine doesn't does the opposite.
1:55:57
Many of the companies are using renewable energies.
1:56:00
They're re using the re renewable diesel fuel which you're aware of and how much that reduces the emissions.
1:56:09
And they are going electric wherever they can and trying to make accommodations.
James F. Gennaro
1:56:19
Demos, I gotta I I I I gotta Yeah.
Demos Demopoulos
1:56:22
You got my test.
James F. Gennaro
1:56:23
But when we just You know, we've we did we did biofuels together.
1:56:28
We did always
Demos Demopoulos
1:56:29
worked very well
UNKNOWN
1:56:30
together over the years,
Demos Demopoulos
1:56:31
and and that's my hope.
1:56:32
We continue to do so, my friend.
James F. Gennaro
1:56:34
Hear here.
