NYC Comptroller Lander & Pension Fund Trustees Announce Agreements with Telecom Giants to Enhance Worker Safety Measures

NYC Comptroller Lander & Pension Fund Trustees Announce Agreements with Telecom Giants to Enhance Worker Safety Measures

New York, NY - New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, on behalf of the five New York City pension funds, successfully negotiated agreements with SBA Communications Corporation (SBA), American Tower Corporation (American Tower), and Crown Castle-leaders in telecommunications infrastructure-to enhance their disclosures concerning worker safety at communications tower sites.

"From dizzying heights to challenging weather conditions, tower workers risk their lives every day to keep us connected," said Comptroller Brad Lander. "Detailed safety protocols and reporting mechanisms are necessary to ensure that companies swiftly address potential hazards. I am happy to report that SBA, American Tower, and Crown Castle will provide greater transparency and accountability concerning tower climber safety, reflecting investor expectations that these companies provide a safe working environment for all workers at their sites."

SBA has committed to expand its disclosure to clarify how health and safety policies apply to contractors and subcontractors working on SBA tower sites. As a part of this disclosure, SBA will include its training and certification standards for contractors and subcontractors, as well as detail its third-party verification process and how its internal on-site audits supplement its verification process. The disclosure will also include safety statistics for both employee tower climbers and contractor/subcontractor tower climbers, a description of other safety initiatives, and a reporting mechanism that workers on its sites may use to report safety concerns.

American Tower will expand its disclosure to clarify how regulatory requirements and health and safety policies apply to contractors and subcontractors working at its sites, and the training and certification standard requirements. This disclosure will detail the prerequisites for contractors and subcontractors engaged by the company, the inspection and audits American Tower conducts to verify compliance with safety standards, and other safety initiatives, including third-party audits. In addition to its current reporting concerning employees, the company will now report contractor health and safety information. The company's disclosures will also describe compliance procedures to ensure vendor adherence with regulatory and qualification requirements (prior to workers entering its tower sites), its ongoing maintenance and safety program to ensure a safe working environment, a review of safety incidents, and reporting mechanisms available to workers on its sites.

Crown Castle also agreed to expand its disclosure with respect to contractors and subcontractors working on its sites. Among other things, the disclosure will include a description of mandatory notification that technician services are to be performed at a company site, as well as qualification and registration requirements, safety team audits and inspections, and a worker reporting mechanism for safety concerns. Crown Castle's disclosure will also include safety statistics for all tower technicians, including contractors and subcontractors on its sites.

As of February 29, 2024, the five pension funds have holdings valued at $34.4 million at SBA, $120.9 million at American Tower, $67.8 million at Crown Castle.

In addition to Comptroller Lander, the trustees of the aforementioned systems are as follows:

New York City Teachers' Retirement System (TRS): Mayor Eric Adams' Appointee Bryan Berge, Director, Mayor's Office of Pension and Investments; Chancellor's Representative, Gregory Faulkner, New York City Department of Education Panel for Educational Policy; and Thomas Brown (Chair), Victoria Lee, and David Kazansky, all of the United Federation of Teachers.

New York City Employees' Retirement System (NYCERS): Mayor Eric Adams' Appointee Bryan Berge, Director, Mayor's Office of Pension and Investments; New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; Borough Presidents: Mark Levine (Manhattan), Antonio Reynoso (Brooklyn), Donovan Richards Jr. (Queens), Vito Fossella (Staten Island), and Vanessa L. Gibson (Bronx); Henry Garrido, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; Richard Davis, President Transport Workers Union Local 100; and Gregory Floyd, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.

New York City Police Pension Fund (Police): Mayor Eric Adams' Representative Bryan Berge, Director, Mayor's Office of Pension and Investments; New York City Finance Commissioner Preston Niblack; New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban (Chair); Chris Monahan, Captains Endowment Association; Louis Turco, Lieutenants Benevolent Association; Vincent Vallelong, Sergeants Benevolent Association; Paul DiGiacomo, Detectives Endowment Association; and Patrick Hendry, Daniel Terrelli, Albert Alcierno and Arthur Egner all of the NYC Police Benevolent Association.

New York City Fire Pension Fund (Fire): Mayor Eric Adams' Representative Bryan Berge, Director, Mayor's Office of Pension and Investments; New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh (Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner Preston Niblack; Andrew Ansbro, President, Robert Eustace, Vice President, Chris Viola, Treasurer, and Eric Bischoff, Staten Island Representative and Chair, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York; Sean Michael, Chiefs' Rep., Joe Camastro, Lieutenants' Rep. and Liam Guilfoyle, (Chair), Uniformed Fire Officers Association; and Peter Devita, Marine Engineers Association.

New York City Board of Education Retirement System (BERS): Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, Represented by Karine Apollon; Mayoral appointees Lilly Chan, Marjorie Dienstag, Gregory Faulkner, Anita Garcia, Anthony Giordano, Alan Ong, Phoebe Sade-Arnold, Maisha Sapp, Venus Sze-Tsang, Gladys Ward; CEC appointees Naveed Hasan, Jessamyn Lee, Thomas Sheppard, and Ephraim Zakry; Borough President Appointees Geneal Chacon (Bronx); Tazin Azad (Brooklyn); Kaliris Salas-Ramirez (Manhattan); Shirley Aubin (Queens); Aaron Bogad (Staten Island); and employee members John Maderich of the IUOE Local 891 and Donald Nesbit of District Council 37, Local 372.

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