Tiara Williams (Local 79) on labor broker sexual harassment and exploitation

Good morning, Chair.

Good afternoon, Chair.

We've been here all day.

Hi, my name is Tiara Williams.

I'm an organizer with Local 79.

Prior to joining the union, I worked for a construction labor broker.

I was part of a group of 18 primarily black women workers who won a $1.5 million settlement against our employee for sexual harassment and abuse on the job.

The Attorney General's office found that black women and women of color were systemically targeted by this company.

I was subjected to constant harassment from foremen.

The company failed to address repeated complaints.

Instead, they protected sexual abusers.

I was making minimum wage and I relied on public assistance benefits, so tax dollars were basically subsidizing this company.

I was working for $15 and I was pregnant.

When I miscarried, I had no health insurance and I didn't know if Medicaid was going to cover me.

Now as an organizer, I speak to many laborers supplied by brokers on affordable housing projects around the city.

These predatorial labor brokers take advantage of workers who are in precarious situations.

Formerly incarcerated people, immigrants, and women of color are regularly exploited by these companies.

They face the real threat of re-imprisonment if parole officers discover that they are out of work.

Complaining about job conditions, sexual harassment, or other mistreatment can cost these workers their freedom.

I am fighting to ensure that no one faces the conditions that I experience.

I'm fighting to make sure that the bad actors do not find ways to avoid labor standards by using loopholes in the law.

Residential construction workers should not be excluded from the labor program.

protections that the city has championed.

We must enforce the Construction Justice Act so that the contractors and labor brokers have clear standards for how they treat and pay construction workers who build city subsidized affordable housing developments.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And you get extra points for the extra time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Thank you so much for your testimony.

Appreciate your story.

Kevin Kiprovsky, if you're still here, come on up.

Then let's get Anthony Roy side, Eli.

Rayside?

All right.

You correct me on the mic.

Anthony Rayside, Eli Perry, Yenen Rodriguez.

Whoever is ready can begin.