NYC Council Passes Bills to Better Protect Private Sanitation Workers

The New York City Council on February 28 adopted legislation to better protect workers in the private sanitation industry.

According to a report in ProPublica, one bill authorizes the city’s Business Integrity Commission (BIC) to directly police labor unions at companies across the city. Another measure would require BIC to refer labor and wage violation cases to relevant law enforcement agencies. Mayor Bill de Blasio is expected to sign the legislation.

This legislation comes on the heels of reports regarding the unlawful actions of private hauler Sanitation Salvage, which ProPublica reports had been run by a mobster for years. In November 2018, after months of controversy, Sanitation Salvage surrendered its license and went out of business. And in January, former employees of the company launched a protest over unpaid wages.

ProPublica also points out that one of the largest unions in the city, LIFE 890, had two men connected to the union who were barred from the industry years ago and are considered “convicted racketeers” by BIC.

ProPublica has more information:

The New York City Council adopted legislation Thursday that it says will improve work conditions and bolster labor protections in the private sanitation industry.

One of the bills authorizes the agency overseeing the private trash industry to directly police the labor unions at companies across the city. Another would require the agency to refer labor and wage violation cases to relevant law enforcement bodies.

The legislation, which is expected to be signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, mandates that the oversight agency, the Business Integrity Commission, or BIC, take action against union officials who have certain criminal convictions or dealings with members or associates of organized crime or anyone convicted of a racketeering activity. It allows the BIC to bar union officials from representing workers in the industry if they are found to be lacking “good character, honesty and integrity.”

Read the full article here.