Brian Sampson, president of the Empire State chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), said the study misuses the data. His association is a national construction organization devoted to merit contractors, encouraging open competition and a free-enterprise approach that awards contracts based solely on merit, regardless of labor affiliation.
Critics also argue that the cost of wind power has been made even more expensive in New York by a requirement that awardees include project labor agreements in all contracts. The issue has so alarmed Brian Sampson, President of the Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, that he has asked State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to look into it.
Critics say state's call for "Project Labor Agreements" drives up costs for public projects
On Thursday, Cuomo declared a bill expanding a "prevailing wage" requirement that would apply to larger construction projects likely dead. The law would have expanded the definition of "public works" in New York to include projects receiving more than 30 percent of their funding from the government – making those projects eligible for the wage requirement. Powerful building trades unions, who are among Cuomo's most significant political supporters, had pushed the mandate this session.
Brian Sampson joined Mike Elmedorf, President of AGC on Capital Press Room to discuss prevailing wage
The new Bronson prevailing wage bill is another sad attempt by the people we elect to do nothing more than appease the unions at the expense of the taxpayers.
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A lack of public hearings on the issue and the rush to get the bill passed by the end of session also means that final details of the bill will be determined behind closed doors, according to Brian Sampson, president of Empire Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors. “The potential impact of this bill, as drafted, could stop economic development in parts of this state for a long time,” he said. “Why aren't we talking about this bill more openly, and having more discussions and dialogue about it, instead of wrapping it up with a pretty little bow in the ‘Big Ugly?’”
A shortage of bids on the New York State Fairgrounds pedestrian bridge project will leave New Yorkers paying more, but getting less. When plans for the project were released with an accompanying project labor agreement (PLA), the playing field narrowed from 20 companies interested in the project to just two submitting bids, with the lowest bid coming in well in excess of $1 million over engineering estimates. Why the drastic decrease in competition and increase in costs? The answer can be found in three simple letters: PLA.
Let’s not be fooled. Proponents of the expansion of prevailing wage are already doing great damage to taxpayers. They shouldn’t be allowed to ruin what little positive job growth we now have in New York.
