In a city where there are 35,000 permitted building sites overseen by the NYC Department of Buildings, they report 851 violations for non-compliance with Covid-19 protocols as of March 1st. The majority of violations (550) were issued early on and coincided with the reopening of non-essential construction between July and September of last year.
Both the Building Trades Employer Association and the Building & Construction Trades Council have touted overwhelming compliance with the protocols on our construction sites. As we have said since this started, we should not let our guards down — eternal vigilance.
It’s been a year since the horror of the pandemic set in and our world has been rocked. We all want it to be over, and while we all want life as we knew it back, the reality is that life has changed and some things are never coming back. Humans will adapt. The question is whether it will be for the better or worse. The ways we work, learn and play have all been turned upside down, and I believe the values that were important to people have been too. We need each other, we need human interaction. To help someone or to be helped by someone, to teach someone or to be taught by someone, to love or be loved by someone. That is what defines the good in each of us, deep in our souls. Despite the challenges, we will weather this storm. We will continue to move forward together as our union has always done. Open your eyes, open your hearts, let’s help and care for one another and let’s all help those less fortunate.
