Labor |
 |
Unemployment Insurance Reform
Support "shared work" reform of Unemployment benefits. All unemployed workers should be eligible for some unemployment benefits when the work week is significantly cut due to an economic slowdown. The program is currently available only to workers who earn no more than 5% of wages from piecework.
Workers Compensation
Although the cost of Workers Compensation to all employers in New York State are 72% above the national average on a cost per case basis, the Insurance Department has approved a 5 % increase in 2005. The "Second-Injury" Fund, distributed as an incentive to employers of the disabled, unfairly forces employers with good safety records to pay benefits for other employers' injured workers. The fund should be eliminated. Reduce or eliminate entirely the New York Assessment which now adds on additional 13.6% to the annual premium.
Other costs should be contained by enacting a cap on payments for partial disability, requiring the use of objective medical guidelines for determining the degree of disability, and providing for the reduction of Workers Compensation benefits when workers receive Social Security and/or pension benefits.
Training Vouchers
The New York City economy is heavily dependent on a highly skilled and educated workforce. Based on its population, New York City receives approximately 60% of the $600 million federal grant to New York State from the Workforce Investment Act. The Chamber supports the continuation of the Mayor's Workforce One initiative to assist both employers and employees in re-engineering the multiple job skills needed in order to stay competitive in a changing economy. Support Workforce Investment Act legislation to prioritize the use of training vouchers by incumbent workers and job seekers requiring skills training. This would allow the trainee to select the most suitable training facility and program. The utilization of training provider contracts should be severely restricted.
Employer-Educational Linkages
Secondary schools and colleges should be encouraged to develop formal associations with business organizations and industry groupings to insure that the school curriculum is relevant to the needs of the state's employers. Funding for programs that bring students into the work place to perform practical, "hands on" skills in specific jobs and professions should be increased. These linkages would assist in the development and maintenance of a skilled work force.
