ALBANY, NY (Erie News Now)--AT A TIME WHEN INJURIES AMONG WORKERS ARE INCREASING IN INDUSTRIES LIKE CONSTRUCTION, DELIVERY, AND WAREHOUSE OPERATIONS, LAWMAKERS IN ALBANY ARE TRYING TO PASS A NUMBER OF BILLS TO IMPROVE SAFETY CONDITIONS, PROTECT WORKERS AND HOLD EMPLOYERS ACCOUNTABLE.  

“It would be nice to be able to trust that employers will want to do the right thing but that’s not what experience has shown us, that’s not what the statistics show us,” said Sen. Jessica Ramos (D-13th Senate District).

BETWEEN 2017 AND 2022 WAREHOUSE WORKERS' INJURIES IN NEW YORK MORE THAN DOUBLED, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL Employment LAW PROJECT.  

AND SOME INJURIES HAPPENING TO WORKERS ARE RELATED TO HEATING CONDITIONS.  

SOME WAREHOUSE WORKERS SAid THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY COMPLAINED TO THEIR EMPLOYER ABOUT HEATING CONDITIONS—BUT HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH EFFORT TO FIX THE SITUATION

“Managers are more focused on metrics and the quarter than on the well-being of the associates which are the ones that get the job done,” said Elvis Gallardo, an Amazon warehouse worker.

TWO BILLS IN ALBANY WOULD PROVIDE regulation FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR work sites --AND ESTABLISH A WAREHOUSE worker INJURY REDUCTION program.  

BOTH BILLS ARE CURRENTLY IN COMMITTEES.  

AND WHILE THESE BILLS DID NOT PASS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, SEN. RAMOS, A SPONSOR OF THE BILLS, SAid THE LEGISLATURE PLANS TO WORK HARD TO GET THEM OVER THE FINISH LINE WITH ONLY 10 DAYS OF SESSION LEFT.