The information provided by our website is not legal advice. Although efforts are made to ensure that the information is correct, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. - Empire State Chapter will not be liable for any damages, direct or indirect, arising out of your use of the information provided at this site, or information provided at any other site that can be accessed from this site.
The Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
We are the Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, a national construction association devoted to merit contractors. ABC is a resource for over 23,000 merit contractors and other construction industry professionals committed to safety, training, employee benefits, and community involvement. ABC is also a political organization (PAC), acting to protect and enhance free enterprise and the merit philosophy in the construction industry. The Empire State Chapter serves nearly 700 members throughout New York State from our central office in East Syracuse, and from branch offices in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Long Island/Metro NYC.
ABC Calls on State Legislature to Reform Wicks Law Reform in Budget
In a press release issued statewide early on April 16, 2008, ABC denounced Wicks Law reform provisions that were included in the newly approved state budget and called on state legislators to act quickly to pass legislation to withdraw the PLA and apprenticeship requirement provisions of the Wicks Law reform measure.
“Wicks Law reform provisions were added to the budget in the 11th hour. Although Governor Paterson proclaims this as historic reform to reduce local mandates and lower local property taxes, it will, in reality, greatly reduce competition in the public construction marketplace, and result in higher construction costs for public entities, and ultimately in higher property taxes. ” said Rebecca Meinking, President of the Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors. “Linking Wicks Law reform to discriminatory provisions like PLAs and apprenticeship requirements is not positive reform - it is a gross and overtly political distortion of reform crafted to ensure that Merit shop contractors and their employees, who comprise 70% of the construction industry in New York State, will be shut out of public construction projects entirely,” said Meinking. “It is discriminatory, anti-competitive and will result in higher property taxes and thousands of lost jobs here in New York State.”
ABC members across the state have also responded to a grassroots alert sent out last week, sending hundreds of emails to state legislators and the Governor calling for clean up legislation that will remove the PLA and apprenticeship requirement language in the Wicks reform provisions of the budget. ABC will be in Albany next Monday when the Legislature reconvenes after being off for spring recess this week, meeting with elected officials and their staff to push these clean up measures. If you’ve not yet added your voice to this call by contacting the Governor and your state legislators, please do so immediately by clicking the link below:
To view a commercial ABC is currently running encouraging the Legislature to revisit the Wicks reform provisions in the budget and "fix" them, click here.
ABC Pushes for DOL Adoption of IG Recommendations for Crane Licensing
Earlier this month, New York State Inspector General Kristine Hamann issued a detailed report documenting the results of an in-depth investigation into the crane operator certification process here in New York State. The IG investigation revealed that the New York State Department of Labor (the state agency responsible for overseeing the certification process) lacks formal written policies or regulations regarding the administration of the practical examination required to obtain a crane operator’s certification, which ultimately leaves the process open to abuse. In addition, the report finds that practices employed by the Department of Labor in the administration of the examination are unfair and give the appearance of bias in favor of members of the union. And lastly, the Inspector General uncovered various instances of misconduct by Department of Labor employee Frank Fazzio, the most serious of which was the improper issuance of crane operators’ certifications to more than 200 applicants.
Incorporated in the IG’s report are several recommendations that ABC is pushing the NYSDOL to adopt in order to restore fairness and integrity to the certification process. Among them: 1) the practical exam should NOT be administered on cranes to which some applicants have greater access prior to the exam the others; 2) applicants should have the opportunity to take the exam on a well-functioning crane; 3) DOL should draft policies and regulations regarding the conduct and administration of the practical exam; and 4) the DOL Commissioner should re-evaluate the size and composition of the Crane Board to ensure that membership on that Board is balanced to avoid an appearance of bias towards union member applicants. Subsequent to the release of the IG’s report, ABC issued this statement: “We fully support the recommendations for reform in the crane operator licensing process that are set forth in the inspection report,” said Rebecca Meinking, President of the Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors. “Workplace safety and fair certification standards are essential.”
ABC will continue to push for reforms in the practical examination process to allow all operators, regardless of labor affiliation, equal access to a fair and equitable testing process.
ABC Calls for US Attorney/NYS Inspector General Probe Into DMV Database Access By IUOE Local 17
ABC has formally requested that the US Attorney and the NYS Inspector General launch investigations into how members of the Operating Engineers Local 17 were able to access the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles database to obtain private information about merit shop contractors and construction workers who became the targets of union harassment and intimidation. This unwarranted access to private information by union members came to light during the course of a 10-year investigation which resulted in the recent arrest of a dozen Local 17 members who now stand charged with extortion, conspiracy, and racketeering. These individuals were able to get home addresses of merit shop contractors and their employees and used that address information to harass, intimidate, and allegedly commit violent acts against those contractors, workers and their families. “If in fact, members of Local 17 had access to home addresses and family information, and used that information inappropriately, it is shocking”, said Scott Zylka, Vice President and Government Affairs Director of ABC’s Empire State Chapter, “The possibility that members of Local 17 had government employees assist them in gathering personal information on these workers and then used that information to commit criminal acts demands close and immediate review by state and federal officials”, he added.
In order to improve our delivery of training to ABC member companies, we are trying to determine the type and level of training taking place in ABC member companies at this time. Please take a moment to complete this survey to help us gather accurate information to guide our priorities moving forward.
Ward Steel Company, Inc.
Liverpool, NY 13090 B&B Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
E. Rochester, NY 14445 Milber Makris Plousadis & Seiden, LLP
Woodbury, NY 11797 Envirospect
Nesconset, NY 11767 Coastal Environmental Group, Inc.
Central Islip, NY 11722 Trillium Construction Services
Buffalo, NY 14225 Piccirilli-Slavik & Vincent Plumbing and Heating, Inc.
Binghamton, NY 13901 JAG I, LLC
Glens Falls, NY 12801 Swanson Consulting
Salisbury Mills, NY 12577 Welby, Brady & Greenblatt, LLP
White Plains, NY 10606 Cristo Demolition
Albany, NY 12201 Vector Construction Corp
Cicero, NY 13039 Mustang Construction Group
Camillus, NY 13031 Damon & Morey, LLP
Buffalo, NY 14202 Heating & Piping Specialties Corporation
Laurel, NY 11948 Sub-City Electrical, Inc.
Blasdell, NY 14219
Virginia Contractor Bill Fairchild Sworn in as ABC National Chairman
Bill Fairchild, president of R.W. Murray Co. in Manassas, Va., was sworn in as ABC’s 2008 national chairman during a special March 5 ceremony, one day before the opening of ABC’s 2008 National Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Fairchild officially began his one-year term as ABC national chairman on January 1, 2008.
