Abstract: In response to an op-ed by U.S. Representative Nick Langworthy on the Infrastructure Expansion Act of 2025, Big I New York Chair of the Board Kelly Gonyo submitted a letter to the editor in support of the bill.
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In response to an op-ed by U.S. Representative Nick Langworthy on the Infrastructure Expansion Act of 2025, Big I New York Chair of the Board Kelly Gonyo submitted a letter to the editor in support of the bill. The proposed federal legislation seeks to preempt New York State Labor Laws 240 and 241. The letter appeared in the New York Daily News on July 14.
Builders building less without Labor Law reform
Lake Placid, N.Y.: Re “Scaffold Law keeps N.Y. from building" (op-ed, July 3):
As an independent insurance agent, I help people manage risk. An outdated New York law makes that job harder. Rep. Nick Langworthy’s Infrastructure Expansion Act is a critical step toward reforming that law. New York Labor Law Sections 240 and 241 are a major factor behind rising liability insurance costs, reduced coverage availability and inflated prices for taxpayer-funded projects.
The law is a breeding ground for fraud and abuse. Organized crime rings exploit a system where absolute liability leaves employers and property owners with virtually no ability to defend against frivolous claims. This unjust system generates unpredictable and excessive payouts. It has driven many insurers out of New York. Those that remain are forced to charge exorbitantly high premiums to offset the risk.
I’m deeply frustrated by what’s happening to small contractors and renovation companies, many of which are family-, minority- and women-owned businesses. As chair of the Board of Big I New York, I regularly hear about business owners forced to weigh the cost of Labor Law coverage against hiring or even retaining their current workforce. As the situation gets worse, many question whether they can afford to stay in business, while others are turning down jobs or moving their business to other states simply because they are unable to obtain the required liability insurance coverage.
The 1885 Scaffold Law is a relic of a bygone era when today’s worker protections did not exist. The IEA will help restore fairness, promote greater choice and competition in the insurance marketplace, create jobs and ensure that every dollar of federal funding goes further.
The law is a breeding ground for fraud and abuse. Organized crime rings exploit a system where absolute liability leaves employers and property owners with virtually no ability to defend against frivolous claims. This unjust system generates unpredictable and excessive payouts. It has driven many insurers out of New York. Those that remain are forced to charge exorbitantly high premiums to offset the risk.
I’m deeply frustrated by what’s happening to small contractors and renovation companies, many of which are family-, minority- and women-owned businesses. As chair of the Board of Big I New York, I regularly hear about business owners forced to weigh the cost of Labor Law coverage against hiring or even retaining their current workforce. As the situation gets worse, many question whether they can afford to stay in business, while others are turning down jobs or moving their business to other states simply because they are unable to obtain the required liability insurance coverage.
The 1885 Scaffold Law is a relic of a bygone era when today’s worker protections did not exist. The IEA will help restore fairness, promote greater choice and competition in the insurance marketplace, create jobs and ensure that every dollar of federal funding goes further.
Kelly Gonyo
Category: Advocacy; Association News
Published: 7/15/2025 8:48 AM
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