For Immediate Release: June 7, 2024
Media Contact: Lisa Thomas, lisa@alignny.org, (347) 415-6431
Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act Passes NY State Legislature
Labor Coalition calls on Governor Hochul to take swift action signing bill into law
ALBANY, NY – Today, the New York State Assembly unanimously passed the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act (S5081C/A8907A), securing a win in both chambers after the Senate passed the legislation yesterday. New Yorkers for a Fair Economy, the coalition behind the bill including ALIGN, Teamsters, and RWDSU, celebrated the victory for legislation to ensure warehouse safety in a state where the injury rate is 54% higher than the national average. The coalition urged Governor Hochul to sign the bill into law swiftly to prevent further warehouse injuries, hold employers like Amazon accountable for workplace safety, and design warehouses to protect workers before profit.
The Assembly passed the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act (S5081C/A8907A) by a vote of 141-0; it passed the Senate by a vote of 52-5. When signed into law, the bill—sponsored by State Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Harry Bronson—will establish industry-wide safety standards, require annual safety evaluations of large warehouses for hazards, improve training and medical care, and empower the Department of Labor to implement and enforce the law. In addition to keeping workers safe, the bill can reduce turnover for employers and ease the burden on the state’s healthcare and workers’ compensation systems.
“With 1 in 11 warehouse workers in our state getting hurt on the job, the legislature has once again stepped up to keep these workers safe by passing the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act. Thank you to RWDSU, ALIGN, Teamsters, and the rest of our coalition partners for helping us get this across the finish line. Now, on to the Governor’s desk,” said Jessica Ramos (D, SD-13), Chair of the Senate Labor Committee, sponsor of S5081C.
“As Labor Chair and Assembly sponsor of the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act, I am thrilled that it has passed both the Assembly and the Senate, and proud to have worked on this legislation with Senator Ramos. Warehouse work has emerged as one of the fastest growing industries in New York, but unfortunately these workers face some of the highest rates of injury on the job. With the passage of this legislation, we are well on our way to impacting the change needed to establish industry standards for warehouse work that protects workers and sets fair precedents around the demands of this industry,” said Assemblymember Harry Bronson.
“Today, the NY State Legislature said enough is enough and voted for warehouse safety — a huge victory for tens of thousands of workers tired of putting their health on the line for their jobs,” said Theodore A. Moore, ALIGN Executive Director and spokesperson for the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition. “Thank you to our lead sponsors Sen. Jessica Ramos and AM Harry Bronson and to our legislative champions for shepherding this important bill across the finish line before the end of session. We look forward to Governor Hochul signing the bill into law. We have the technology to make warehouses safe and sustainable; now we need to hold employers accountable to put it in action. Protect warehouse workers!”
“Today’s passage of the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act is a major win for worker health and safety in New York,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). “Warehousing work is growing rapidly in our state – and so are injury rates among workers. The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act requires employers to design warehouses for safety first, preventing worksite injuries and holding companies accountable for their workers’ health and safety. We are proud that New York State is leading the way in creating safety standards for e-commerce. Thank you to our Assembly Sponsor Harry Bronson and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie! We look forward to the governor signing this bill into law.”
“The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act makes New York a national leader in taking on the Amazon injury crisis,” said Thomas Quackenbush, President of Teamsters Joint Council 18. “Workers are suffering preventable injuries because employers like Amazon are putting their profits ahead of safety. This legislation will force companies to change their warehouse design and practices to prioritize workers.”
“New York has the highest warehouse injury rates in the nation, and that doesn’t count the injuries that go unreported,” said Jeff Brylski, President of Teamsters Joint Council 46. “Too often, workers at Amazon and other major warehouse companies are told to take an ibuprofen and get back to work, when what they really need is to be seen by a doctor. The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act will ensure that workers have access to qualified medical professionals and can be safe on the job.”
“The Teamsters thank Senator Ramos, Assemblymember Bronson, and legislative leaders for guiding this groundbreaking bill through the legislative process,” said Thomas Gesualdi, President of Teamsters Joint Council 16. “It is on the verge of becoming law today because warehouse workers mobilized to demand the strongest protections in their industry. We urge Governor Hochul to take this crisis seriously and sign the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act into law as soon as possible.”
Background:
- 1 in 11 NY warehouse workers are injured annually and NY’s warehouse worker injury rate is 54% higher than the national average. Amazon workers are injured at an even higher rate — 37% more often than workers at non-Amazon facilities.
- Act requires annual safety evaluations of large warehouses for potential risks, establishes industry-wide safety standards, improves training and medical care, and empowers DOL to implement and enforce.
About New Yorkers for a Fair Economy
New Yorkers for a Fair Economy (NYFE) is a coalition of labor unions, small businesses, and immigrant and community organizations uniting to safeguard our state from the abusive practices of big corporations and achieve an economy that works for all New Yorkers. NYFE is led by ALIGN (Alliance for a Greater New York) and includes labor unions Teamsters Joint Council 16 and Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; community groups like New York Communities for Change and New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health; and research and advocacy organizations like National Employment Law Project and Strategic Organizing Center, among others.
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