Coronavirus in NYC: 蜜桃传媒app workers keep building, even if sick
The Big Apple鈥檚 construction trades workers are still showing up for work 鈥� sometimes even while sick 鈥� putting new pressure on City Hall to close down job sites as it battles , The Post has learned.
The developments come as construction union officials and sources told the paper that de Blasio is eyeing a shutdown of the industry, like .
鈥淚f we knew that, they鈥檇 be escorted off the site if they were not going voluntarily,鈥� said city Building Trades Employers Association president Lou Coletti, which represents 1,200 unionized contractors across the five boroughs.
He emphasized such action could only apply to union jobs.
鈥淚 had a bad fever the other day. I鈥檓 fine now, but I still gotta come to work,鈥� a 45-year-old superintendent told a Post reporter while working a construction site of a high-rise near Union Square.
鈥淲e have extra wash stations, we鈥檙e taking precautions, but we can鈥檛 stop [working] unless the city stops us,鈥� the person added. 鈥淭here are contracts and unions; there鈥檚 a lot of things involved, but we all wish someone would make that decision already.鈥�
Across the five boroughs, construction workers kept going about their business as usual.
鈥淲e have to take care of what we gotta take care of,鈥� quipped Mario Morales, 33, who was working another job site in Manhattan. 鈥淲e gotta work. We have our masks; we鈥檙e washing our hands, and taking the precautions.鈥�
Some lawmakers 鈥� including Brooklyn Councilmen Brad Lander and Carlos Menchaca 鈥� are calling for the city to halt construction projects in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
When asked if the Mayor Bill de Blasio supports a construction moratorium, his spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein said in an email, 鈥渢his is one of the many things we鈥檙e discussing. We鈥檒l let you know as soon as we have update.鈥�
Coletti said the industry has asked city and state officials to give 28 to 48 hours notice before any shutdown so they could be better prepared.
鈥淩ight now our contractors and union officials are tremendously conflicted,鈥� Coletti said. 鈥淥ur first priority is health and welfare of our project management staff and the building trade union workers, but in addition to that, there are concerns about the economic impact if job sites were to be shut down.鈥�
The union bigwig said he was part of a conference call Tuesday that included Deputy Mayor Vicki Been and other city officials, state officials, other union officials and top developers to discuss the industry鈥檚 immediate future.
Carlo Scissura, president of the New York Building Congress, which set up the call, said it鈥檚 鈥渆asy to say let鈥檚 shut down nonessential construction.鈥�
鈥淧eople need homes, and we are still going to need school seats in a few months,鈥� he said. of medical centers and hospital. We still need track work and maintenance to continue on the subway system.鈥�