IUOE Loses Battle with NYC over Crane Operator Licensing

May 13, 2016 - Under a new rule in New York City, crane operators are no longer required to have a locally-administered license to work in the city. The local International Union of Operating Engineers lost its battle with the city over operator licensing when a panel of appellate court judges ruled against the union in the years-long case, according to a Crain’s Business report.

 

The appellate panel ruled the city can use federal OSHA-sanctioned tests which New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration argued were safer and more modern than the locally-administered license test. The Union maintained the national test was not adequate for preparing crane operators to work in the city’s building environment. The IUOE local plans to appeal the decision, despite the fact that it will continue to hold the majority of crane licenses in the city.