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Sponsor Testimony on HB 235 — Representative DJ Swearingen (Commerce and Labor Committee)

Summary

Sponsor testimony on HB 235 from Representative DJ Swearingen, Ohio House District 89, to the Commerce and Labor Committee. It states the bill looks to establish minimum safety standards for construction work at oil refineries by providing minimum qualifications for workers performing that work. The testimony says this is not a union vs. non-union bill and that the bill sets standards for both union and non-union workers, using different metrics. It says the bill does not dictate what kind of workers are hired by facility operators or owners, only that the workers meet training and qualification requirements. It states that as Ohio sees a workforce influx from the Gulf Coast and Texas, setting minimum standards is prudent.

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“Sponsor Testimony on HB 235 — Representative DJ Swearingen (Commerce and Labor Committee).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2021-05-19-commerce-labor-testimony-hb235sponsortestimony-0afe9ca8cb/, SHA-256 ac26e065f4f3e96c1974a694f4027f6acc9b9d4406070238bbcd7d5cd5fb257b.

Full text

                                 Representative DJ Swearingen
                                      Ohio House District 89
                                   HB 235 Sponsor Testimony


Chairman Stein, Vice Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan, and members of the
Commerce and Labor Committee, thank you for hearing sponsor testimony on HB 235. This bill
looks to establish minimum safety standards for construction work at oil refineries, by providing
minimum qualifications for workers performing the construction work at these facilities. The
goal ultimate goal is to continue ensuring that anyone working at these facilities can continue to
go home to their families at night and that the surrounding communities remain safe and
protected. There are a few points that I want to address.


Firstly, this is not a union vs. non-union bill. This bill sets standards for both union and non-
union workers to qualify to work on these facilities for construction/maintenance work. The
standards are intended to be equivalent of each other, just using different metrics. This bill does
not dictate what kind of workers are hired by these facilities’ operators/owners, only that the
workers meet the training and qualification requirements.


Secondly, you are going to hear the argument that this legislation is not needed. As Ohio sees a
workforce influx from the Gulf Coast and Texas, we believe that it is prudent to set minimum
standards for the workforce performing the construction work on these facilities so that there is
an assurance that the entire construction workforce is qualified to do the job.


This bill, at the end of the day, is about keeping Ohio’s workers and our communities safe. These
facilities employ thousands of workers and we want them to succeed and thrive, but we need to
make sure that the people who are working on these facilities have the background and
knowledge to minimize risks. Thank you for your time today, Rep. Baldridge and I look forward
to answering any questions the committee may have.

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