NYC District Council of Carpenters Holds Lobby Day

On Tuesday, May 16, the New York City District Council of Carpenters teamed up with the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters for their annual NY State lobby day. Members and executives from each council spoke to their local legislators about the issues important to their membership that will have lasting impacts on the middle class. The main item on the agenda this year was the definition of public work legislation A. 5498 (Bronson)/S.2975 Murphy.

Currently, NYS has no clear definition of public work, making it easier for unscrupulous contractors to take taxpayer dollars without having to provide any public benefit. This means that contractors on certain projects receiving significant public funding and/or tax subsidies have no responsibility to pay fair wages and benefits to workers. The two Carpenters’ councils urged state government to clearly define public work projects as those which are paid for in whole or in part with public funds or if the construction is performed in contemplation of a public entity leasing a portion of the space in the resulting development. This definition will add much needed clarity to the law, while helping to protect workers across the state. The District Council also advocated for the preservation of the scaffold law, among other items.

Find out more here.