NY Meeting Highlights TRSA Local, Industrywide Agendas

TRSA members invested in the New York market gathered at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 22 to review the association’s progress advocating for the industry there and across the continent, while networking at the Bronx, NY, baseball cathedral, touring the facility and witnessing a home team victory.

TRSA President and CEO Joseph Ricci and Government Relations VP Kevin Schwalb brought the group up to speed on the latest TRSA activities in the city, state and nation. They pointed out that any TRSA members in any location should bring to TRSA’s attention any government or market developments that might impact their businesses and could be addressed from an industrywide perspective.

Initially, TRSA became involved in New York City when the City Council proposed an onerous protocol governing the industry. It would have mandated a steep licensing fee, cleanliness standard and submission to the city of a linen, uniform and facility services company’s employee and customer lists. Today, there’s a licensing fee and requirements to post the license number, but these other requirements have not been enacted.

Another municipal government effort – thwarted at least for now – would have reduced members’ margins: the inception of congestion pricing on deliveries entering the city. Seven years in the making, this requirement was on the books earlier this year for businesses to pay $24 to $36 per entry, compared with $15 for passenger cars. TRSA and others contended the business levy should match the consumer amount.

Some stakeholders filed suits to stop the rule’s enactment but these had little impact. TRSA joined with New York’s trucking association in a filing that called for an injunction against the city. Within three days, the state suspended the rule. It may surface again next year.

TRSA is “playing offense” in New York state, having prompted legislation this year to require all healthcare facilities (any with a doctor) to maintain half of their personal protective equipment (PPE such as isolation gowns) inventory in reusables. This compares with an estimated current 10% reusables, with the remainder as disposables. The legislation didn’t come to a vote this year so TRSA will foster its reintroduction in 2025.

TRSA’s industrywide (federal, international) promotion of reusables will help in New York. Momentum has been achieved through TRSA’s participation in National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) data-gathering to examine reusables’ potential to close the healthcare PPE gap. NASEM’s report to the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention could prompt a federal CDC regulation that would increase reusables’ share.

Other regulatory developments affecting the industry across the U.S. that were discussed at the meeting included:

• OSHA’s heat injury and illness notice of proposed rulemaking. Comments from stakeholders are due in early November, coinciding with the presidential election. The rule could be implemented as proposed. This would mandate businesses with indoor operations, including our industry, to meet prevention planning, training and acclimatizing (relief quarters) requirements. Attendees were advised to have a prevention plan and follow it now.
• PFAS discharges in laundry wastewater. EPA’s recent adoption of PFOS and PFOA limits in drinking water is pressing public sewer authorities to reduce these in their discharges. This burden is bound to affect upstream dischargers such as linen and uniform companies; some are now required to measure their PFAS discharges to sewers. Others are facing bans in their states on the use of textiles containing PFAS. TRSA is responding by anticipating the need to pretreat laundry discharges and seeking federal funding to support members who may need to invest in such pretreatment.

Ricci recounted TRSA’s involvement in state legislative and regulatory activities, highlighting efforts to get the industry recognized as more of a producer or manufacturer than a service provider. This would give linen and uniform service operators more favorable tax treatment for capital expenses such as equipment purchases or laundry facility construction.

P.J. Dempsey, Dempsey Uniform & Linen, Jessup, PA, noted the importance of TRSA’s Political Action Committee (TRSAPAC) to accomplishing TRSA’s federal goals. Currently serving as TRSA treasurer, Dempsey urged participation in TRSA’s annual Legislative Conference, where the association facilitates member meetings with legislators and their staffs. The next such conference takes place Feb. 5-6, 2025.

Past TRSA Chair David Potack, Unitex Healthcare Laundry Services, Elmsford, NY, predicted TRSA will need to contend with more legislative and regulatory challenges that will be more problematic. More member involvement is needed to contend with these. The New York experience proves it can be effective, he said, noting success in lining up representatives to sponsor legislation and visit industry locations. They respond because “it’s a job issue:” the industry resonates with them as a significant employer.