Policy That Works Hard for Hardworking People

Throughout the past couple of months, you don’t have to try very hard to find updates detailing how newly-installed policies, rollbacks, funding freezes and general ideologies are negatively impacting working people. It’s blatantly transparent to anyone paying attention that not everyone in Washington, D.C. is on the side of middle-class Americans. While this steady diet of anti-worker rhetoric and action is certainly discouraging, it’s important to remember that we are fortunate to live and work in New York – a state that believes firmly in the middle class and in unions.

Thanks to our Legislature and our Governor, New York has demonstrated this commitment by expanding worker protections through wage requirements and enforcement year after year. This includes putting prevailing wage requirements in place in emerging renewable energy markets, implementing electronic registries for contractors and certified payrolls, and increased penalties for those who commit wage theft/misclassification. These laws and others, combined with a shared value system that prioritizes working New Yorkers, provide a measure of reassurance during a time where workers’ rights are being ignored or outright attacked at the federal level. As LIUNA vice president and New England regional manager, I feel deeply grateful to lead our organization in a state that refuses to turn its back on the men and women who built it. 

However, LIUNA hasn’t persevered for over 121 years by being complacent or satisfied with the status quo. There is always more to be done. Ways to further uplift working men and women include: expanding prevailing wage requirements on projects receiving public subsidies performed under private contract; cleaning up thresholds to assist with determining what projects qualify; making brownfield remediation subject to prevailing wage requirements; and applying apprenticeship training requirements to all renewable energy projects. This is a sample of current legislation we’re advocating for, but they all operate in the same vein: propel our membership and the labor movement forward, and in turn raise the standard of living for all working families.

Some detractors spin a false narrative; however, the facts are clear, studies prove time and again, prevailing wage standards do not increase project costs. It isn’t destroying big developers’ bottom lines and it isn’t wreaking havoc on New York’s economy. These mistruths have been dispelled many times over. Prevailing wages do build a stable, skilled workforce, increase productivity and create pathways to long-term fulfilling family supporting careers. Simply put, a thriving middle class builds prosperous communities and a strong economy. When workers have an amplified voice, fair pay in their pockets, health care and retirement benefits, and a seat at the table, every generation following behind will have a better shot.

Bottom line – there are myriad ways to bolster economies from the local and state levels all the way to the national level that never involve punching down at the men and women doing the difficult and often dangerous work. New York state is flourishing proof of this ethos. LIUNA is committed to fighting for our current and future members’ continued success, and equally committed to protecting every worker who doesn’t yet have a voice. Let’s continue the push together to prioritize action that works for working people.