NYC Council passes Intro 803 to provide greater accountability of construction contractors.
“I’m thrilled to announce the passage of Intro. 803, which will hold unscrupulous vendors accountable. By allowing union representatives to protest bids, we will reduce fraud, unfair labor practices, and compliance issues for hard working New Yorkers,” said New York City Council Member Julie Won, Chair, Committee on Contracts. “Thank you to the men and women at Laborers 1010 for your tireless advocacy and support for Intro. 803. Together, we will continue to support high-quality, honest vendors that prioritize the needs of working New Yorkers.”
By passing Intro 803, the NYC Council has created greater accountability within the construction bidding process. This legislation will allow for secondary entities within the construction industry as unions and labor management representatives, to provide information or feedback on contractors participating in a particular project. Labor organizations have a more complete picture or history of developers and contractors and can provide documentation of wage fraud, labor standards violations, refusal to comply with mandated apprenticeship requirements, or even criminal indictments. By permitting a secondary designated party to have a seat at the table, the bad actors can easily be recognized.
“The passage of Intro 803 will bring greater accountability and integrity to New York’s City’s procurement policies, and is a huge step toward ensuring a fairer system for taxpayers, workers and responsible contractors,” said Keith Loscalzo, Business Manager, Laborers Local 1010. “Our union’s primary focus is and always will be protecting our members, and fighting for contractors who put people over profit – Intro 803 will be instrumental in that fight. Thank you Councilmember Won and the New York City Council for passing this monumental legislation at today’s Stated meeting.”
“Bringing union know-how and knowledge to the table will help stop unscrupulous actors who take advantage of the bidding process and hard-working New Yorkers by holding them accountable for their past actions. We’re thankful to Council Member Julie Won for advancing this key piece of legislation and finally putting labor at the bidding process table, helping to secure the middle-class jobs that are supported by honest bidders who pay good wages,” said Gary LaBarbera, President, Building & Construction Trades of Greater New York
“With this legislation, New York City won’t just be enhancing the integrity of the bidding process; we are putting in place meaningful safeguards against wage theft and other violations of workers’ rights by letting our City’s unions do what they do best—acting as a voice for the interests of all working people,” said New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO President Vincent Alvarez. “We commend Council-member Won and the City Council for taking this important action to protect both labor rights and the quality of work that our City deserves.”
