Mayor inks bill expanding prevailing wages
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TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | DEC. 13-19, 2019 13
BY TODD MAISEL
Mayor Bill de Blasio penned his signature
last week to a bill designed to
expand prevailing wage guarantees to
building service workers in New York
City financed projects.
The bill, Intro 1321-A, sponsored by
Councilman Rafael Espinal of Brooklyn,
provides a “prevailing wage” for
building service workers and reflects
the pay and benefits paid by the majority
of private employers. It also requires
such workers to receive benefits
like health insurance, retirement accounts
and paid time off.
Since 2012, prevailing wages were
required for building service employees
in most developments where
a private developer received at least
$1,000,000 in discretionary financial
assistance from the City. That law exempted
all affordable housing projects
from the wage standard.
The bill helps workers to afford to
both work and live in the city, de Blasio
said.
Bill Laburta and James Taylor,
both doormen and present at the City
Hall bill signing ceremony, said they
needed to make enough money so they
can live in the city where they work.
“I’m feeling great,” roared Taylor
as they exited City Hall. “Now we can
sustain our selves and raise our family
in the city we live in. This is a great
day.”
De Blasio had union members
of Service Employees International
Union and their leaders join in the bill
signing.
“From keeping the heat on to keeping
our families safe, New Yorkers rely
on building service workers,” de Blasio
said. “This expansion of prevailing
wage will help create a fairer city by
ensuring workers have the same security
and peace of mind they bring to
residents every day.”
The bill will cover additional developers
and projects by removing
the current exemption in the Prevailing
Wage Law for affordable housing
projects and not-for-profit developers
of residential projects. Now, building
service workers in most residential
projects receiving financial assistance
of at least $1,000,000 for new
construction or preservation will be
guaranteed the prevailing wage. The
bill exempts smaller residential projects
with fewer than 120 units, certain
supportive housing projects, deeply
affordable preservation projects and
NYCHA projects financed through the
federal Rental Assistance Demonstration
program.
Kyle Bragg, president of 32BJ SEIU,
the largest property service union in
the country, called the bill, “a win for
working people and for the communities
they support.”
“This law proves New York’s commitment
to addressing the good jobs
and affordable housing crisis from
multiple angles. 32BJ and our members
are proud to support a law that
will allow New York communities to
rest assured that the jobs created in
the development of 120,000 new affordable
housing units will be good, family
sustaining jobs,” he said.
The law builds off reforms aimed
at raising the wage and benefit floor
for more New Yorkers and reducing
income inequality including paid sick
leave, fair work week, and raising the
minimum wage.
Doormen James Taylor (l.) and Billy Laburta (r.) hold the door at City Hall after
getting their bill signed by the mayor. Photo by Todd Maisel
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