CSEA Calls for Stronger Protections for Highway Workers Following Recent Death and Other Incidents

ALBANY, NY (11/08/2024) (readMedia)-- CSEA Calls for Stronger Protections for Highway Workers Following Recent Death and Other Incidents

In the wake of the tragic death of CSEA Thruway Authority employee Stephen Ebling in Silver Creek and an accident that could have taken the life of a CSEA Department of Transportation worker in the Southern Tier, the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) is calling on the Governor and state legislature to make the protection of highway workers a top priority during the 2025 legislative session.

The union is urging state lawmakers to strengthen existing laws and implement new penalties aimed at ensuring the safety of highway workers and other first responders who work on the state's highways, as well as better educate the public about the critical need to move over and slow down when approaching emergency and maintenance vehicles. Despite laws in place requiring drivers to move over in these instances, a disturbing number of drivers continue to ignore these laws, putting lives at risk.

"Every day, CSEA members work in dangerous conditions, often within mere feet of speeding traffic. They are not just workers-they are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who should not have to fear for their lives while performing their jobs," said Mary E. Sullivan, President of the Civil Service Employees Association Local 1000. "It is time for lawmakers to recognize the growing threat and take meaningful steps to protect the men and women who maintain and repair our highways. Lives are at stake."

The call for increased safety measures follows several high-profile incidents over the past week, as well as a growing number over the past year. In many cases, drivers have failed to follow the law by not moving over or slowing down when approaching work zones or areas where vehicles are on the side of a highway. As a result, workers have been struck by vehicles while performing essential maintenance tasks, exacerbating the already perilous nature of their jobs.

The union is calling on state leaders to take action during the 2025 legislative session to address this growing crisis and to provide real protection for those who serve on the roads.

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