Laborers And Union Activists Travel To Albany For Day Of Action Urging Legislators To Pass Legislation To Define Public Work

ALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing the momentum of its campaign to hold Related Companies accountable at Hudson Yards, and their January 9^th action, the Count Me In campaign, and its activists traveled to Albany today with a simple message for legislators: pass A1261/S1947, legislation that clearly defines public work!

"It's unconscionable that New York leverages our own tax dollars against us when they subsidize development with not even as much as a wage standard in place," said Michael Hellstrom, Assistant Business Manager of the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York and campaign manager of Count Me In. "Count Me In will not sit idly by while the State bankrolls the exploitation of construction workers and furthers the growth of the open shop, right-to-work model in the construction industry. A clear definition of public work will level the playing field for developers that want to do what's right for their workers.  It will also stop employers that don't want to pay a fair wage, but want to benefit from tax payer subsidies to build.  They will have no choice but to respect their workers and pay area-standard wages," concluded Hellstrom.

Having a clear definition of public work would shift the paradigm of procurement and ensure that projects like Hudson Yards, that receive taxpayer subsidies, are paying workers area-standard wages. It would also help alleviate much of the debate that often surrounds taxpayer funded projects that receive large sums of money to build but lack basic standards in return.

As the 2019 legislative session got underway, Count Me In came to Albany to engage with elected officials, urging them to swiftly pass the measure and include it in the New York State budget. With the Legislature now discussing budget priorities, Count Me In has returned to Albany to remind legislators just how important it is that we curtail corporate greed and ensure some kind of return on taxpayer investments in development.

"The New York State Constitution says public works projects must pay a prevailing wage, but under the current economic development model process too many bad actors are able to skirt this requirement and get away with paying hardworking New Yorkers less than they are owed," said New York State Assembly Member Harry Bronson. "A simple fix to this unfortunate situation is to define "public works" projects, and my bill (A1261) would do just that. I am thankful for all the New Yorkers from across our state who joined together today to help workers earn the wages they deserve, and I look forward to this bill becoming law once and for all."

"Defining public works and ensuring that workers on subsidized projects are paid the prevailing wage is a means to end the race to the bottom in the construction industry," said New York State Senator Jessica Ramos. "The bill I sponsor will reinforce what the Count Me In campaign has already been fighting for— an economy that works for working families. We are galvanizing the rank and file so that the people who build this state can continue making it their home."

"New York's construction workers need wage justice," said New York State Assembly Member Marcos Crespo. "Creating a clear definition of public work will ensure our tax dollars no longer support a race to the bottom in the construction industry. If we are leveraging public, taxpayer dollars to build, the least the State can do is guarantee workers on these projects are able to support themselves and their families with dignity." 

"An easy way to spur upstate growth and bring life back to so many economically disadvantaged communities, is to pay workers a wage that allows them to not only support themselves but also their local economies," said John Hutchings, Executive Director and Treasurer of the New York State Laborers' Political Action Committee. "Having a clear definition of public work will start to do exactly that by setting a wage standard on publicly subsidized projects. Thus, finally ensuring employers can no longer use our tax dollars against us in the form of substandard wages on publicly subsidized projects."

The Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York is the 17,000-member umbrella council, representing five local unions affiliated with the Laborers International Union of North America: General Building Laborers Local 66; Asbestos, Lead & Hazardous Waste Laborers Local 78; Construction & General Laborers Local 79; Waste Material, Recycling & General Industrial Laborers Local 108, and: Lay Faculty Association Local 1261.

The New York State Laborers' Union represents over 40,000 members employed in the construction industry and other fields throughout the state, and organized into more than 24 local unions and 5 district councils.

SOURCE Mason Tenders District Council