The New York Construction Alliance is urging City Council to consider mandatory drug and alcohol testing on all New York City construction sites. 

NYCA president Kenneth Thomas recently made the following statement:

“New York Construction Alliance (NYCA) is committed to worksite safety and our members take proactive steps to prevent substance abuse-related incidents. In fact, our members already engage in proactive random drug tests on sites. Industry stakeholders such as the Associated Builders and Contractors and the Building Trades Employers Association have already expressed strong support for addressing the problem of drug and alcohol in the construction industry.

The City Council should consider how mandatory drug and alcohol testing could increase construction safety on New York City worksites. We look forward to discussing this issue with city officials and how a drug and alcohol testing mandate could help make our industry safer for all workers.”

The Associated Builders and Contractors 2017 Safety Performance Report states that “one-third of all incidents on construction jobsites [across the U.S.] are drug- or alcohol-related”.

On the other hand, Building and Construction Trades Council president Gary LaBarbera opposed NYCA's proposal, calling it “‘nothing more than a diversionary attempt by irresponsible developers and nonunion contractors to scapegoat workers,’” NY Daily News reports. He argued that “none of the 33 construction worker deaths since the beginning of 2015 involved evidence of alcohol or drug use”.