“There is nothing greater, more important or more powerful than the members who make up New York State’s unionized workforce. These skilled men and women have dedicated their careers, their very lives, to ensuring New York is first in class in safely built and maintained infrastructure; critical work that allows every corner of our state to thrive.
As strong as the labor movement is, that strength is undoubtedly magnified when we have steadfast, loyal and fierce advocates in state government; advocates we can rely on to amplify our message and fight for our members’ and working New Yorkers’ collective best interest. I am proud to say we have found that once again this legislative session, and for that I extend my sincere appreciation to Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assemblymember and Labor Chair Harry Bronson, Senator Pete Harckham and Senator and Labor Chair Jessica Ramos.
By passing A7491B (Bronson)/S5868B (Harckham), payment of prevailing wages to construction workers will now be required to be eligible for tangible property tax credits associated with brownfield remediation. In short, the men and women doing this important and inherently dangerous work for the betterment of New York State will be highly skilled, earning a living wage, and getting the job done efficiently and safely.
The passage of electronic certified payroll A9265A (Bronson)/ S8608A (Ramos) legislation mandates that contractors and subcontractors report their payroll electronically in a publicly accessible database, giving the NYS Department of Labor the tools needed to expeditiously ensure workers are being paid correctly and labor law standards followed accordingly – an invaluable measure to protect workers and increase accountability.
Our union once again thanks our elected allies, and we look forward to seeing these forward-thinking, pro-worker pieces of legislation signed by Governor Hochul.”
