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QUEENS WEEKLY, DEC. 15, 2019
Mayor inks bill expanding prevailing wages
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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