Many of you knew him and others may have known about him.
If you didn’t, you’re among the people who I think would have wanted to know Stan Smith, one of the great labor law advocates of our area for the last 50 years, who influenced thousands early in their career and still does.
Stan was the owner of a multi-generational electrical contracting company, in business for over 60 years and a longtime advocate for prevailing wage laws. A founding member of the Prevailing Wage Council of NYC, dating back to the early 1970’s, Stan was consistently the most outspoken prevailing wage law advocate among the employer communities. He pushed not only the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), but other trade groups and employers to embrace the value of prevailing wage laws. He saw prevailing wages not only as a benefit for workers, but also vigorously promoted its value in leveling the competitive playing field for employers, while preserving area wage standards, supporting apprenticeship programs, ensuring the quality of public works and all while benefiting the taxpayers. On those fronts, he was politically active, engaging politicians affirmatively and often for this cause.
Stanley also spoke passionately about the need for labor law enforcement, often quoting Harry Truman and others, with unsurpassed knowledge of prevailing wage history. For example, he extolled the virtues of Reorganization Plan #14 of 1950 which conferred labor enforcement authority on the USDOL as well as contracting agencies.
For years, Stan pushed for a prevailing wage council to be established on Long
Island and was a force for the impetus leading to the Long Island Labor Advisory Council (LILAC), which remains the only such ongoing committee on Long Island comprised of worker representatives together with employer and government entities addressing prevailing wage and related labor law issues.
Along with labor rights, Stan was extraordinarily charitable to a variety of organizations and social justice causes.
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