What's happening
This bill requires Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant and its successors to pay prevailing wages and retain current employees, with Department of Labor oversight.
Why it matters
Protects existing workers’ job security. by requiring that current employees with relevant skills are retained during any sale, transfer, or decommissioning of Indian Point, helping prevent job losses and disruptions to their livelihoods.
Mandates higher wage standards. by ensuring all affected employees are paid at least the prevailing wage (and premium wages where applicable), likely increasing take-home pay for workers who might otherwise face pay cuts during ownership changes or plant closure.
Strengthens Department of Labor oversight. by giving the agency explicit authority to monitor hiring and employment practices at Indian Point, which could improve transparency and enforcement of labor standards during transition periods.
Prioritizes current workforce for new roles. by requiring successor companies to hire from among existing employees unless they can prove a skills mismatch, aiming to give local workers continued employment opportunities as the plant changes hands.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Indian Point Workers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Pocket veto - veto.296
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.652
- Substituted for A7569B
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 57–5
- Ordered to third reading cal.1746
- Referred to rules
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Protect Indian Point Workers
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Sandy Galef
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6567
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
June 16, 2019
Introduced by Sen. HARCKHAM -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT requiring the payment of prevailing wages to affected employees of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant and for the department of labor to oversee the hiring of new employees at such power plant
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Any transfer or lease, as well as any decommissioning activities, by the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant of its franchise, works or system or any part of such franchise, works or system to any corporation, firm, company, partnership, limited liability company, association or person shall, to the maximum extent practicable, provide that employees of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant with skill sets necessary for the operation of a successor corporation, firm, company, partnership, limited liability company, association or person be retained for employment with such successor and shall be paid a wage of not less than the prevailing wage in the locality where the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant is located.
§ 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the commissioner of labor shall ensure that any employees of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant shall be granted notice to any affected employees pursuant to section 860-b of the labor law and such employees shall be granted prevailing wages pursuant to section 220 of the labor law. Such affected employees shall be paid a premium wage commensurate with the premium wages prevailing in the area in which the work is performed until such time as the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant is closed.
§ 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any corporation, firm, company, partnership, limited liability company or association, hereinafter known as "purchaser" with a contract to purchase the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, to the extent practica-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11295-12-9
S. 6567 2
ble, shall maintain the current workforce through the conclusion of the purchase of such power plant. In hiring any new employees, such purchaser shall hire from a pool of current employees at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant unless such purchaser proves to the department of labor that such employees' skills do not meet the requirements needed for the open positions. The department of labor shall oversee the employment practices of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act requiring the payment of prevailing wages to affected employees of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant and for the department of labor to oversee the hiring of new employees at such power plant
Purpose
This bill protects the interests of employees of the Indian Point Nucle- ar Power Plant regarding the closing of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 allows the commissioner of labor shall ensure that any employ- ees of Indian Point will shall be granted notice and granted prevailing wages until Indian Point is closed.
Section 3 provides that any entity with a contract to purchase Indian Point will maintain the current workforce at Indian Point to the extent practical for the entity.
Section 4 establishes the effective date.
Justification
This legislation seeks to limit the damage caused by the imminent closure of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. The bill does so by ensuring that the employees of Indian Point maintain their positions for as long as is feasible, with their prevailing wage still in effect. Corporations, firms, companies, partnerships, LLCs and associations with contracts to purchase Indian Point will be expected to maintain the current workforce to the extent practical, and new hires will be selected from a list of qualified employees of the power plant.
Residents and employees affected by the closing of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant are facing the loss of jobs. Moreover, the dangers involved in decommissioning a nuclear power plant are best handled by a skilled workforce that is familiar with the environment. Accordingly, this legislation not only protects jobs, but protects the safety and security of Indian Point throughout its closure.
Legislative history
This is a new bill.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.