Mayor Bill de Blasio approved a bill that requires a minimum of 40 hours of training for New York City construction workers before March first. The new law—passed on Monday—was enacted in response to a surge in injuries at construction sites that have accompanied the building boom. The city has pledged $5 million to this project, which only partially covers the cost of the initiative. Several groups including the Real Estate Board of New York criticized the new law, arguing that it unfairly favors union labor because some union workers who have already taken courses are exempt from having to be retrained.
See "New bill requires construction workers to undergo training", Yoav Gonen, New York Post, October 17, 2017