Workers’ Chapel Hosts Memorial Mass Following the First Construction Worker Fatality of the Year in New York City

The Workers’ Chapel at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in midtown Manhattan hosted a memorial Mass on Friday, January 10th, in honor of Elie William, the construction worker who died on the job when he fell over 40 feet on the 3rd floor of the Waldorf Astoria renovation construction project on January 2nd. An impromptu vigil was also held outside the construction site on the morning of January 3rd.

Fr. Brian Jordan, chaplain of New York City’s construction unions, led the vigil and the Mass at the Workers’ Chapel, which is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds seeking a place for prayer and meditation. In attendance were NYC Central Labor Council President Vinny Alvarez and Chief of Staff Brendan Griffith, Local 3 IBEW Business Manager Chris Erikson, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, NYC Council member Julie Menin, and union rank-and-file. A collection from the Mass will be donated to the victim’s surviving family members.

This was the first construction worker death of the year in New York City, which saw a

decrease in construction-related fatalities but an increase in worksite injuries in 2023, according to NYC Department of Buildings data. The NYC DOB report also found that falls continue to be the leading cause of death and injury on construction worksites. Speak to your union representative, contact the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) at 311 (212-NEW-YORK if outside NYC), or visit nyc.gov/workers to get more information about NYC labor laws, ask a question, and/or file a complaint.

Photo courtesy of Dan Hinton of IBEW Local Union 3