Union carpenters on Long Island are thrilled with the recent passage of a $225 million infrastructure bill that was the product of a bipartisan initiative from state and federal leaders.
The bill was championed by Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Sayville) on the federal level, flush with project labor agreements issued by Joe Biden. The state funding was also supported by Governor Kathy Hochul (D), Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D), Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R), New York State Senator Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk), and New York State Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R- Medford).
The project encompasses a multi-phase sewer system, previously covered here by The Messenger, that is set to create jobs and bolster local economies across New York State through 2026. The project started in January in Suffolk County that looks to add a wastewater treatment plant and eliminate septic systems that have been pollutants of the Forge River in Mastic. Congressman Garbarino recently secured $3 million in federal funding for a sewer overhaul in Central Islip.
The plan is intertwined with a Biden-era project labor agreement (PLA). The basic function of a PLA is to funnel jobs to unionized contractors and members. Proponents say these stipulations organize and allow for eased labor relations between contracts and trade unions regarding a particular job. Critics say it undercuts the competition and legally takes jobs from merit shop contractors and workers.
The PLA involved in this carpentry deal is mandated under executive order by Joe Biden, in that the mandate is in effect on any projects receiving more than $35 million from the federal government. The North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters – NASRCC – has subsequently endorsed all politicians involved in the deal mentioned in this article.
Despite union carpenters’ win with the project, all New Yorkers are set to benefit from the clean water initiatives this project intends to implement:
Governor Hochul said in July: “These strategic investments will make lifesaving improvements to our water infrastructure and safeguard drinking water for millions of people on Long Island. New York will continue to prioritize resources for projects that provide reliable, clean water for communities across the state while creating good-paying jobs and spurring economic development.”
According to the NYS website, $20 million will be assigned to address “more than 2,000 substandard or failing septic systems and cesspools that cause significant water quality impairments.”
