The Dangers of NYC Non-Union Construction Work

Author

Laura T. BrattonFollow

Graduation Date

Fall 12-13-2022

Grading Professor

Tom Robbins

Subject Concentration

Urban Reporting

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Abstract

Just last week, two construction workers were killed in the span of a few days on sites in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

According to data from the Laborers International Union of North America, there were 19 construction worker deaths in New York City this year - bringing the catastrophic number back up to its pre-pandemic levels.

New York State’s Department of Labor finds that at least 15 of this year’s deaths occurred on non-union sites. According to a recent report by the New York Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), construction workers made up 19% of worker deaths but only 4% of the workforce as of 2020.

One of the deceased workers is Jose Armenta, who died in 2021 when he fell 20 feet from a second-story bank building, where he was jackhammering a roof with no safety harness. The site is currently being investigated by the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, according to a spokesperson for their office.

This piece explores Armenta's death and the other men injured on the site in order to illustrate the dangers of non-union work, which are on the rise as construction jobs climb back to their 2019 levels.

www.nycconstructiondangers.org

Recommended Citation

Bratton, Laura T., "The Dangers of NYC Non-Union Construction Work" (2022). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/608