H 8331Workplace Safety

Labor and Labor Relations - The Trades Worker Justice and Safety Act

Creates the Trades Worker Justice and Safety Act to mandate women's restrooms, enforce anti-harassment rules, and establish an independent construction Ombudsman.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Email Legislator

Introduced Mar 20, 2026Committee House Labor

Plain-English Summary

This legislation, cited as the "Trades Worker Justice and Safety Act," establishes comprehensive protections for construction workers in Rhode Island. It mandates the provision of specific, sanitary, and lockable restrooms for women on all construction sites. The bill creates an independent Ombudsman office within the Department of Labor and Training to investigate harassment complaints and enforce safety standards. It implements a zero-tolerance policy for harassment and bullying, provides strong whistleblower protections against retaliation, and requires employers to provide mental health resources. Violations can result in significant fines and stop-work orders.

For younger readers

This new law is designed to keep construction workers safe and happy. It says that bullying and being mean are not allowed at work. It requires construction sites to have clean, private bathrooms specifically for women. The law creates a special job called an Ombudsman, whose duty is to listen to workers if they have problems and make sure everyone follows the rules. If bosses or other workers are mean or don't follow the safety rules, they can get in trouble and have to pay money. It makes sure everyone is treated with respect.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Construction WorkersConstruction Contractors and SubcontractorsLabor UnionsWomen in TradesProject Managers and Supervisors

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

Section 28-61-3(b) mandates that an individual accused of prohibited conduct be "immediately removed from the job site pending investigation." This may violate due process rights by inflicting a penalty (removal/loss of work) before an investigation or hearing confirms guilt. Additionally, the Ombudsman's power to issue "binding corrective recommendations" without a defined judicial appeal process in the text could be challenged as an overreach of executive authority or a violation of separation of powers.

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Protects marginalized groups, including women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ workers, by mandating sanitary facilities and enforcing zero-tolerance policies against harassment and discrimination.
Establishes robust whistleblower protections and an independent Ombudsman to ensure workers can report safety violations and abuse without fear of retaliation from employers or unions.
Prioritizes worker well-being by legally mandating mental health resources, crisis support, and employee assistance programs on job sites.
Explicitly excludes individuals with current or recent union affiliations from serving as the Ombudsman, which may be viewed as an anti-labor provision that undermines the role of unions in worker protection.
Reliance on state agencies for enforcement may be ineffective if those agencies are underfunded, potentially leading to a lack of real-world implementation despite the bill's strong language.
The "zero-tolerance" and immediate removal provisions could potentially be weaponized by employers to fire workers without due process or adequate investigation under the guise of compliance.

For Conservatives

Ensures the new Ombudsman office is strictly independent from union influence, preventing organized labor from controlling oversight and accountability mechanisms on construction sites.
Holds individual supervisors and managers personally liable for negligence and failure to act, ensuring personal accountability rather than just corporate liability.
Establishes clear conduct standards that could potentially lower insurance premiums and litigation costs for businesses by reducing workplace hostility and associated accidents.
Imposes significant regulatory burdens on private businesses, including specific mandates for restroom facilities and administrative reporting, which will increase operational costs.
Empowers a government-appointed official to issue binding corrective recommendations and conduct unannounced inspections, representing a substantial expansion of state interference in private enterprise.
Creates excessive financial penalties, including fines up to $50,000 and treble damages, which could financially cripple small construction businesses for compliance failures.

Votes

Loading votes...

Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 156 additions

SECTION 1. Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds and declares:

(1) All construction workers have the right to a workplace free from harassment, discrimination, intimidation, bullying, abuse, and retaliation.

(2) Women, tradeswomen, workers of color, LGBTQ+ workers, immigrants, and other marginalized groups experience disproportionate rates of job-site hostility and workplace violence.

(3) The tragic death of Yinka A. Awodumila, a laborer in Rhode Island, demonstrates systemic failures in responding to hostile job sites, retaliation, and worker mental health crises.

(4) Rhode Island must establish comprehensive, enforceable protections that ensure no worker’s plea for safety is ignored and that every worker is given dignity, protection, and respect.

(5) These protections shall cover all construction sites including private projects, public projects, municipal and city-funded projects, school district projects, state-funded projects, federally funded projects, and any project permitted, contracted, or overseen by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (RIDLT), the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), or any other state agency.

(6) A statewide system utilizing “Safe From Hate” best practices, independent oversight, mental health protections, women’s restroom standards, whistleblower protections, and zero- tolerance harassment policies is essential to the safety and dignity of construction workers.

(7) A neutral, worker-first Ombudsman is necessary to ensure accountability free from union, contractor, employer, or agency interference.

SECTION 2. Title 28 of the General Laws entitled "LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 28-61-1. Definitions. For purposes of this chapter:

(1) "Construction site" means any location within Rhode Island where construction, demolition, alteration, excavation, highway or bridge work, utility work, or related labor occurs including, but not limited to:

(i) Private construction sites;

(ii) Public construction sites;

(iii) Municipal or city-funded projects;

(iv) State-funded projects;

(v) Federally funded or federally assisted projects;

(vi) School district, university, or public agency projects;

(vii) Any site governed, contracted, permitted, or overseen by the Rhode Island department of labor and training (RIDLT);

(viii) Any site governed, contracted, permitted, or overseen by the Rhode Island department of transportation (RIDOT); and

(ix) Any site regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or any state licensing authority.

(2) "Harassment or bullying" means unwelcome verbal, physical, visual, written, or digital conduct that creates a hostile, intimidating, discriminatory, humiliating, retaliatory, or offensive work environment including, but not limited to:

(i) Gender-based harassment;

(ii) Sexual harassment;

(iii) Racial or ethnic harassment;

(iv) Threats, slurs, intimidation, or sabotage; and

(v) Retaliation for reporting safety or misconduct.

(3) "Whistleblower" means a worker who reports unsafe conditions, discrimination, harassment, fraud, retaliation, wage violations, misconduct, violence, or mental-health-related concerns.

(4) "Ombudsman" means a neutral, state-appointed official empowered to receive, investigate, and resolve worker concerns independently from unions, contractors, employers, or agencies. 28-61-2. Safe and equitable facilities mandate.

(a) All construction sites shall provide regulated, dedicated women’s restrooms that are:

(1) Separate, private, fully enclosed, and lockable;

(2) Sanitary and clearly labeled;

(3) Maintained daily with cleaning logs;

(4) Equipped with functioning locks, proper lighting, menstrual products, and covered trash receptacles; and

(5) Located within a reasonable distance of the work area.

(b) Inspections of construction sites to verify compliance with subsection (a) of this section shall be conducted at least once every thirty (30) days by one or more of the following entities:

(1) RIDLT;

(2) RIDOT;

(3) OSHA;

(4) The ombudsman’s office; or

(5) Municipal inspectors.

(1) Mandatory fines;

(2) Written corrective action plans; and

(3) Stop-work orders for repeat violations. 28-61-3. Zero-tolerance jobsite harassment standard.

(a) The following conduct is prohibited on all construction sites:

(1) Sexual harassment;

(2) Gender-based harassment;

(3) Bullying or intimidation;

(4) Racial, ethnic, or religious harassment;

(5) Threats, slurs, or degrading remarks;

(6) Tool sabotage or work sabotage; and

(7) Retaliation of any kind.

(b) Any individual who engages in prohibited conduct under subsection (a) of this section shall be immediately removed from the job site pending investigation.

(1) The employer;

(2) RIDLT;

(3) RIDOT (if the project is under RIDOT jurisdiction); and

(4) The ombudsman.

(d) Failure to report incidents as required under subsection (c) of this section shall result in employer penalties.

(e) The director of RIDLT shall promulgate rules and regulations relative to the prohibited conduct under this section and what constitutes a violation thereof. 28-61-4. Whistleblower protection and non-retaliation.

(a) Whistleblower protections under this chapter shall be undeniable and non-waivable.

(b) Protected activities include reporting on the following:

(1) Hazards;

(2) Harassment or bullying;

(3) Discrimination;

(4) Mental health emergencies;

(5) Violence or threats; and

(6) Wrongdoing by supervisors, contractors, or union officials.

(1) Termination, suspension, demotion, or removal from work or committees;

(2) Blacklisting or removal from future jobs;

(3) Reduction of hours or overtime;

(4) Negative evaluations;

(5) Hostile assignments;

(6) Threats, intimidation, or slander.

(d) Remedies for violations include:

(1) Reinstatement;

(2) Treble damages;

(3) Attorneys’ fees; and

(4) Expedited ombudsman review under this chapter. 28-61-5. "Safe From Hate" compliance standards.

(a) Rhode Island hereby adopts the U.S. Department of Labor’s Safe from Hate best practices.

(b) All contractors, subcontractors, unions, and employers shall implement:

(1) Mandatory ongoing anti-harassment training;

(2) Respect- and safety-based new hire orientation;

(3) Posting of worker rights and reporting channels in union halls, contractor offices, jobsite entrances, and other visible locations;

(4) Ongoing crew-level safety and mental health check-ins; and

(5) Supervisor and leadership accountability for inaction.

(c) The requirements of this section apply to all state-funded construction projects, public works, and all contractors and subcontractors bidding on state or RIDOT contracts. 28-61-6. Rhode Island ombudsman for construction worker safety and equity.

(a) There is hereby established within RIDLT an independent ombudsman’s office.

(b) The ombudsman shall:

(1) Receive confidential or anonymous complaints;

(2) Investigate harassment, retaliation, and safety concerns;

(3) Issue binding corrective recommendations;

(4) Require employers or contractors to take corrective action;

(5) Refer cases to OSHA, RIDLT, RIDOT, or the attorney general as appropriate;

(6) Track statewide patterns of job-site hostility;

(7) Publish annual reports (protecting worker identities); and

(8) Conduct unannounced jobsite inspections.

(1) 24/7 hotline;

(2) Anonymous text hotline;

(3) Online reporting portal;

(4) Private on-site interviews.

(d) The ombudsman shall not:

(1) Be a union member or have an immediate family member in any union;

(2) Have worked for a contractor, employer, or union within five (5) years prior to appointment; and

(3) Be influenced by employer associations or agency leadership. 28-61-7. Enforcement and penalties.

(a) Violators including contractors, subcontractors, employers, or unions shall be subject to enforcement of the provisions of this chapter by the attorney general and/or RIDLT to include, but not be limited to:

(1) Fines ranging from five thousand dollars ($5,000) to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per violation;

(2) Mandatory corrective action plans;

(3) Public posting of violations;

(4) Suspension from eligibility for state and RIDOT contracts; and

(5) Stop-work orders for severe or repeated violations.

(b) Supervisors, foremen, stewards, and management who fail to act may face:

(1) Personal fines;

(2) Removal from supervisory duties; and

(3) Criminal referral for willful negligence. 28-61-8. Mental health protections. Employers shall:

(1) Provide mental health crisis resource cards listing immediate support options;

(2) Offer access to employee assistance programs (EAP);

(3) Immediately contact emergency services when a worker expresses a crisis; and

(4) Notify the ombudsman of any mental health crisis within twenty-four (24) hours. 28-61-9. Reporting, training, and public transparency.

(a) The ombudsman shall publish on the RIDLT website:

(1) Annual statewide reports;

(2) Harassment and retaliation data;

(3) Women’s restroom compliance records;

(4) Training completion logs; and

(5) Contractor compliance scores.

(b) Employers shall post at all jobsite entrances:

(1) Worker rights;

(2) Zero-tolerance policy;

(3) Whistleblower protections; and

(4) Ombudsman contact information.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.