Establish a project labor agreement for SUNY construction projects of $3 million or more
SUPPORT A5486/S6050!
For decades, members of the New York State Laborers Union have taken great pride in building and maintaining our SUNY campuses. Through New York State’s commitment and the collective work of the Laborers and other Building Trades members, we’ve created a public higher education system with state-of-the-art facilities and top-quality education. This partnership has allowed countless construction workers to create strong careers in the industry and in turn, earn enough to send their children to school at the very same SUNY campuses they worked on.
However, recent years have brought changes in the procurement practices that negatively impact how SUNY builds and maintains university facilities and campuses.
Even though these contracts use public, TAXPAYER DOLLARS to finance development and come with prevailing wage requirements, they’re increasingly being awarded to out-of-state companies that lack necessary NYS-based workers’ compensation and insurance policies, and have histories of unsafe building practices, wage theft, and other labor issues. It’s also common for these companies to employ an out-of-state workforce, barring New York’s construction workers from being able to secure these prevailing wage jobs in their own communities.
This is NOT responsible use of New York State taxpayer money, and it is NOT fair to the men and women we rely on to build New York State. They deserve better.
A5486/S6050 addresses these issues by:
Ensuring SUNY prioritizes responsible contractors and good jobs for local residents through establishing a project labor agreement (PLA) for all SUNY construction projects over $3 million
Ensuring our public universities are built professionally and safely with local workers and contractors.
Addressing contractor density and workforce needs to ensure on time, high quality construction on campuses
Allowing Laborers and other Building Trades unions to offer more opportunities for New Yorkers to join the unionized construction industry and create lifelong careers with family-sustaining wages, healthcare, and retirement security through the creation of a PLA