Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins recently signed two pro-worker labor laws passed by the Westchester County Board of Legislators thanks to the support of Local 3, IBEW and the Building & Construction Trades Council of Westchester and Putnam Counties. Business Representative Louis Sanchez spoke on behalf of Local 3 at a press conference held on May 13th, along with elected officials, labor leaders, and community advocates to celebrate the new laws officially added on the books.
The “Westchester County Lessor Prevailing Wage Act” guarantees that construction workers on County-leased properties, even if privately owned, receive the same standard union wages and benefits they would earn on County-owned job sites, thereby fixing a gap in state law that previously excluded those sites from the “public work” category. The “Mandating Apprenticeships in County Projects Act” requires contractors bidding on large County construction projects to provide hands-on training through New York State-registered apprenticeship programs in the building trades. Both laws apply to construction contracts valued at more than $250,000, and those contractors and subcontractors must submit certified payroll records to ensure compliance.
Photo by Alex Acaro.
