Union leaders, contractors and real estate developers are trying to reach a new “project labor agreement” (PLA) to cut costs on private construction projects in New York City. But while Mayor Blomberg is reportedly anxious to participate in a news conference announcing the tentative deal, the city itself isn’t even trying to share in the savings on public construction projects.
Mr. Bloomberg routinely seeks endorsements, and often political contributions, from unions. So, even as he has asked city employees for concessions, the project labor agreement would not apply to city projects, which are often more likely to proceed during an economic downturn than private developments.
The deal has yet to be announced because of disagreement among the parties on whether the pending agreement would cut costs by 20 percent, as claimed by the union, or by a range of 5-12 percent, as suggested by a spokesman for private developers. Either way, the city’s failure to participate in the PLA will be very costly to taxpayers.
You may also like
Parsing the Impact of Mamdani’s Tax Hike Plans
The front-running candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has said he can finance his costly campaign promises – including free buses and universal child care – by taxing only a sliver of the city's residents Read More
How 1199 Earns its Reputation as Albany’s No. 1 Labor Power Broker
For the fourth time in six years, the president of New York's largest health-care union, George Gresham of 1199SEIU, has won the top spot on the "Labor Power 100" list from City &am Read More
How a Medicaid ‘Cut’ Could Lead to More Unionization of Home Care Aides
A money-saving maneuver in the newly enacted Medicaid budget could end up increasing costs in the long term – by paving the way for more unionization of the state's burgeoning home health workforce.
Read More
Pols Craft More Handouts for Sinking Construction Unions
New York’s construction unions, facing a decades-long decline, are employing a time-honored tactic: getting state government to stop people from competing with them. Read More
Union Rallies Long Island Pols Against NYC Kids
New York’s statewide teachers union has been cashing in political chits as it seeks to block new charter schools from opening in New York City, asking the senators and assemblymembers Read More
New York’s pricey hospitals draw pushback from labor
A City Council hearing in Manhattan on Thursday promises a rare scene in New York politics: hospitals playing defense. The council is debating whether to establish a watchdog agency focused on the high price of hospital care in New York, with a goal of helping the city and other employers contain the rapidly rising cost of health benefits for workers. Read More
Utility board turns into union tool
The idea that the PSC would artificially drive electricity costs higher to benefit a political constituency represents a new low. Read More
New Docs Raise Big Questions About NY’s Megafab Mega-Deal
The Hochul Administration published a pair of documents concerning the Micron Megafab deal that raise more questions than they answer. Read More