New York, NY –NYC Council Member Ben Kallos has received the endorsement of the New York City Coalition of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) made up of six local unions representing 18,000 members.
“During his time in the City Council, no one has worked harder than Ben Kallos to protect the safety of tens of thousands of men and women in the construction industry. He understands that in order to ensure their safety and the safety of the millions of New Yorkers, commuters, and tourists who pass by construction sites each day, it is critically important that all workers be properly trained. He knows and continuously advocates that the integrity and rigor of our procedures for licensing these workers must be maintained and, when necessary, strengthened,” said Edwin Christian, President of the 18,000 member coalition.
New York City Coalition of Operating Engineers consists of the following six IUOE locals including Local 14, 15, 30, 94, 211, and 891. Other labor organizations supporting Kallos are CWA Local 1101, Insulators Local 12, OSA, NYS Nurses, Steamfitters Local 638, SMART Local 28, UWUA Local1-2.
Ben Kallos, is a Democrat and Co-Chair of the NYC Council Progressive Caucus. As a legislator, Kallos authored the law to count every injury and life lost on a construction site with steep fines for disreputable contractors that would hide injuries on the job (Local Law 78 of 2017). He was also a co-prime sponsor of laws to require site safety supervisors and safety training on construction sites. In addition, Kallos has carried legislation to require prevailing wage, training, and apprenticeship on city-subsidized construction projects. He acquired his law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School.
