Bill Text: NY S07734 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

New York Senate Bill 7734 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Provides for compensation to workers to be commensurate with the experience and expertise needed.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-12 - REFERRED TO RULES [S07734 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S07734-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7734

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 12, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. GIANARIS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

        AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to  the  payment  of
          wages  to workers; and to repeal a chapter of the laws of 2019, amend-
          ing the labor law relating to ensuring that utility employees  receive
          the prevailing wage

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. A chapter of the laws  of  2019,  amending  the  labor  law
     2  relating to ensuring that utility employees receive the prevailing wage,
     3  as  proposed  in  legislative  bills numbers S. 6265-A and A. 8083-A, is
     4  REPEALED.
     5    § 2. The public service law is amended by adding a new section 42-a to
     6  read as follows:
     7    § 42-a. Payment of wages to workers; certain cases. 1. The legislature
     8  hereby finds that the protection of critical infrastructure is furthered
     9  by the enhanced training, experience and expertise  of  workers  in  all
    10  positions  at such facilities.  Given that the state of New York, due to
    11  its representation as a beacon of liberty, diversity and  equality,  and
    12  its  history  of being the target of terrorist attacks, will always be a
    13  target for those who wish to do this country and this  state  harm,  New
    14  York  has  a fundamental obligation to harden its infrastructure against
    15  any such threats or activity. In hardening the infrastructure  there  is
    16  no greater asset than the human capital that serve at the front lines of
    17  the  effort to thwart terrorist attacks. The electric and steam generat-
    18  ing facilities in the state, when active, provide a target that requires
    19  the hardening not only of the  physical  infrastructure  but  the  human
    20  infrastructure  as  well.  Turnover  in  such positions, for the service
    21  workers who provide cleaning, security and maintenance services at  such
    22  active  generating  facilities  will  decrease  if  the workers are paid
    23  increased wages. The reduction of  turnover  will  allow  for  the  more
    24  developed  and  trained  workforce to continue to provide the measure of
    25  safety and security the  state  requires.  Given  that  important  state
    26  interest,  it  is  therefore found and declared that the workers at such

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13100-04-0

        S. 7734                             2

     1  facilities shall be trained to ensure their ability to meet the security
     2  needs of the facilities that they work upon. It  is  further  found  and
     3  declared  that  the  reduction  of  turnover  may be accomplished by the
     4  payment  of  rates of pay in line with those prevailing in such trade or
     5  occupation, as otherwise defined.
     6    2. The wages paid, and benefits provided, to building service  employ-
     7  ees who are employed at a work location that is an active major electric
     8  or  steam  generating  facility,  or  at  a transmission or distribution
     9  facility considered critical infrastructure as determined by  the  divi-
    10  sion  of  homeland  security and emergency services in consultation with
    11  the department, shall be subject to article nine of the labor law.   For
    12  purposes  of  this section "major electric generating facility" means an
    13  electric generating facility with a  nameplate  generating  capacity  of
    14  twenty-five  thousand kilowatts or more, including interconnection elec-
    15  tric transmission lines and fuel  gas  transmission  lines,  and  "major
    16  steam  generating  facility"  means  a  steam generating facility with a
    17  generating capacity to be determined by the department.
    18    § 3. This act shall take effect on the  same  date  and  in  the  same
    19  manner as a chapter of the laws of 2019, amending the labor law relating
    20  to  ensuring  that  utility  employees  receive  the prevailing wage, as
    21  proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 6265-A  and  A.  8083-A,  takes
    22  effect,  provided,  however,  that  section  two  of this act shall take
    23  effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it  shall  have  become  a
    24  law.