BILL NUMBER: S6625
SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the general municipal law, in relation to limiting the
number of hours certain public employees can work
 
PURPOSE:
The proposed legislation would add a new section of the general munici-
pal law to prohibit any political subdivision of the State of New York
from requiring an employee to work more than seventeen hours in any
given work day except as provided in an applicable collective bargaining
agreement.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Adds a new section 90-b to the general municipal law to prohibit poli-
tical subdivisions of the State of New York from requiring any employee
to work more than seventeen hours in any given work day except as
provided in an applicable collective bargaining agreement.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill is needed due to the fact that the NYC Department of
Corrections has been assigning employees to work triple shifts without
regard to the health and safety of its employees. The legislation amends
the labor law and is intended to supersede any local laws allowing the
practice. No municipal employee should be mandated to work a triple
shift. In circumstances wherein a triple shift may be to the benefit of
both the employer and the employee, or in the case of a true emergency,
sufficient safeguards must be contractually negotiated.
Currently, existing law allows certain municipalities to force workers
to work in excess of 17 hours a day. This is particularly true in the
case of the New York City Department of Corrections which has forced
Correction Officers to work triple shifts. This practice is permitted
under the NYC Administrative Code in emergency situations but has not
been negotiated in contract and the practice is occurring regardless of
declarations of emergency.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
 
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall become law

Statutes affected:
S6625: 90 general municipal law