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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jessica Ramos, State Senator from New York State Senate
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State Senator Jessica Ramos testified in support of Intro 865, a bill to create a worker fatality database in New York City. She emphasized the importance of collecting data on workplace deaths to prevent future tragedies and improve worker safety.
- Highlighted the increasing trend of preventable worker deaths in the city and state
- Mentioned her role in establishing a similar registry for construction industry fatalities at the state level
- Stressed the city's responsibility to understand the risks faced by its workforce of over 300,000 employees
Jessica Ramos
0:35:56
This morning.
0:35:58
My name is Jessica Ramos, and I represent the Queen's Neighborhoods of Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Parks of Regal Park in the New York State Senate.
0:36:08
I proudly represent the most diverse district in the state full of constituents who work to provide essential services in all five boroughs of New York City.
0:36:17
I am testifying in support of the worker fatality bill intro number 865 introduced by council member Carmen De La Rosa.
0:36:26
I'd like to thank the chair and the speaker for inviting me to testify today.
0:36:31
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a worker died every 96 minutes from a work related injury in 2022 compared to 101 minutes in 2021 nationwide.
0:36:44
I will allow the experts at Nykosh and the Central Labor Council to expand on the data I have shared in my written testimony.
0:36:51
But it is worth emphasizing that there is a scary upwards trend in preventable worker deaths in our city and state that intro 865 is well equipped to deal with.
0:37:03
Just a few days ago, Richard Eureko a 19 year veteran of the New York City sanitation department died tragically at work.
0:37:11
Reports on this tragedy state that it is unclear what caused him to fall out of his truck, leaving us with a lack of information that we could use to prevent future tragedies.
0:37:22
As chair of the senate labor committee, I have made it a priority to ensure workers return home healthy and whole to their families at the end of the day.
0:37:31
I championed the workplace fatalities registry bill which was enacted in 2022 and established a registry of workplace fatalities specifically in the construction industry to record information pertaining to all incidents under which a worker performing construction work suffers a work related fatal injury, and I see Mike McGuire from the laborers here who helped me draft and pass that this bill.
0:37:58
This registry is maintained by DOL, the Department of Labor, and the updated information must be accurately published and accessible.
0:38:05
This data can be used to vet contracts during bidding and no trends across sectors that informs legislative decision making.
0:38:13
Currently, no city agency collects data on worker fatality in the five boroughs.
0:38:18
The data will allow us to know which workers or industries are experiencing significant fatalities and how to ensure their safety.
0:38:26
As an employer of over 300,000 workers, the city has a responsibility to know that risks its workforce faces.
0:38:33
Agencies cannot be responsive to data they do not have.
0:38:37
I thank speaker Adams for allowing intro number 863-865 to receive a hearing and the bill sponsors for championing work worker safety.
0:38:47
Thank you.