The outsourcing of call center operations has caused a massive loss of jobs and has had a profound negative impact on the state and the national economy. The transfer of these services has meant delays and deteriorating services for consumers in virtually every sector of the economy.
This bill adds a new Article 21 of the Labor Law to enact the New York Call Center Jobs Act, to prevent the ongoing outsourcing of jobs from New York State to other locations.
This bill will require the Department of Labor to establish and make public a list of all larger scale call center employers that relocate operations any time 30% or more of the total call volume is outsourced. The bill creates penalties for employers that fail to report. Further, the bill requires that employers that appear on the list will be ineligible for state grants, guaranteed loans and tax benefits, except if such relocations were caused by national security, substantial job loss or environmental damage.
This bill proposes a reasonable and rationale approach to ensuring continuity of call center services that are vital to public safety, such as emergency telecom, energy and other important utility services.
The bill will also protect jobs and help prioritize the state’s economic development programs to help businesses that keep their call center operations in New York State. Employers that outsource these operations should not reap the benefits of taxpayer assistance.
Mario Cilento, President