New York, NY – New York City Mayor Eric Adams on November 21, 2024, has announced an historic agreement with the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC) that will cover more than $1 billion in construction projects throughout the city.
This agreement will allow the city to complete capital projects more effectively and efficiently, connect more underserved New Yorkers with apprenticeship opportunities, and strengthen the city’s commitment to minority- and women-owned businesses (M/WBEs). Construction projects will include repairing the city’s sewers, roads, and bridges as well as infrastructure improvements in Willets Point. Mayor Adams has also announced that the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has signed a letter of intent with BCTC, to negotiate additional PLAs for the Hunts Point Produce Market, the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment, and the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay projects – a cumulative $1.88 billion in construction work. These PLAs also establish the framework for negotiations with the BCTC for future construction projects worth several billions of dollars.
“These agreements, covering more than a billion dollars in work, are a win-win-win: good union jobs for New Yorkers; faster, better, and more efficient capital projects; and billions of dollars of investment in communities that went ignored for decades,” said Mayor Adams. “But we’re not stopping with these projects – and we’re not stopping at just $1 billion. These agreements give us a framework for future agreements covering another $50 billion in projects. That means tens of thousands of good-paying jobs for our union brothers and sisters and hundreds of projects delivered on time and on budget for New Yorkers. My thanks to Gary LaBarbera, BCTC, and the hard-working New Yorkers who put their blood, sweat, and tears into building a better city for all.”
Project Labor Agreements enable the city to establish fair wages, benefits, and safety protections for workers, and provide opportunities for workforce development, while controlling construction costs and ensuring the timely completion of projects. This PLA enables the city to use design-build, which allows a single entity to be responsible for both project design and construction. This improved coordination allows the city to complete capital projects faster and more efficiently.
“Project Labor Agreements are a great mechanism to enable unionized building trades to capture work while offering best in class services to construction companies,” said John Jovic, business manager, Heat & Front Insulators Local 12. “We all recognize that union labor is one of the leading pathways to the middle class. Additionally, we recognize that there are no other cities as great as New York when it comes to supporting union labor, and all of us in the Building Trades sincerely appreciate the collaboration and dedication it takes to make these agreements happen! Accordingly, I would personally like to thank Mayor Adams, Andrew Kimball, and all of our partners who support union labor in New York City.”
The work being completed at Willets Point is an opportunity to transform what was once a dumping ground into a new vibrant community. The transformation of Willets Point is expected to generate over $6 billion in economic impact over the next 30 years. Over 14,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent employment will be created while adding 2,500 affordable homes and 150,000 square feet of public space. Infrastructure development will include new streets, signage, sidewalks, curbs, trees, lights, drainage, stormwater management, water mains, hydrants, sewers, and utilities. This massive project will also include 20,000 square feet of retail space, a 250-key hotel, and the city’s first soccer stadium privately financed by NYCFC. A city within a city is being built by the men and woman of the New York City building trades.
“Transformational development and green infrastructure upgrades will reinvigorate our communities and bring much-needed stability and economic stimulus to all New Yorkers; but the full scope of benefits from these capital projects can only be unlocked through project labor agreements that will guarantee thousands of good-paying union careers for workers from surrounding neighborhoods,” said Gary LaBarbera, president, Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. “We are grateful for these historic commitments and collaboration from Mayor Adams and NYCEDC, as we must ensure that our city’s hardworking people, including our tradesmen and tradeswomen, are provided fair wages and accessible pathways to the middle class that will allow them to reinvest in their communities and support their families in the foreseeable future. We look forward to working with NYCEDC further so that our members may take advantage of these opportunities and play a role in completing these upcoming projects that will modernize and improve our city for generations to come.”
