Laborers and Elected Officials Call on Parks Department to Cancel Contracts with Convicted Contractor

Laborers Local 1010 LECET, backed by NYC City Council Parks Chair Shekar Krishnan along with31 City Council Members, Queens BP Richards and Bronx BP Gibson, and the NYC CLC, are demanding the immediate cancellation of more than $40 million in active and upcoming city street tree planting contracts with Griffin’s Landscaping, whose owner was recently sentenced to prison for a $2.4 million environmental bribery scheme. Despite the conviction, and Griffin’s history of wage theft and labor law violations, the Parks Department has yet to cut ties with the company. Labor leaders and public officials condemned the city’s continued relationship with a contractor who exploited workers and polluted communities, calling it a slap in the face to honest contractors and working New Yorkers (photo: NYC Parks).

“What message does this send to honest, qualified contractors who employ hardworking, trained workers when someone who violated labor law still gets to profit off city work? Glenn Griffin has no business receiving another cent of taxpayer money, when law-abiding contractor are lined up to do the work. The Parks Department must act swiftly — not just to cancel these contracts, but to ensure that every vendor doing business with the city operates with integrity, transparency, and respect for workers’ rights,” said Victor Rizzo, Director, Laborers’ Local 1010 LECET.

“New York City cannot claim to support workers while continuing to do business with a contractor accused of wage theft and convicted of environmental crimes," said NYC CLC President Vincent Alvarez. "The Parks Department has a responsibility to ensure that public contracts go to employers who follow the law, pay their workers fairly, and respect the communities they serve." Read more from QNS.com, Bronx Timesand the NY Post!