HUDSON VALLEY BUILDING TRADES AND CENTRAL HUDSON SIGN LABOR USAGE POLICY TO KEEP LOCAL UNION WORKERS ON THE JOB
Signing Took Place Prior to Local Labor and Business Leaders’ Listening Session on Proposed Government Takeover of Central Hudson
The Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council and Central Hudson Gas & Electric today signed a Labor Usage Policy that puts skilled local union workers at the center of the utility’s major construction projects across the region. The policy, signed at the Laborers Local 17 Training Center in Newburgh, sets clear expectations for the use of union labor on future gas, electric, and construction infrastructure work.
Under the policy, Central Hudson projects over $1.5 million that do not carry prevailing wage requirements will be performed under a Project Labor Agreement, and projects over $375,000 that include prevailing wage will be performed by union workers.
Building trades unions have long worked alongside Central Hudson’s contractors to modernize the Hudson Valley’s energy system. The policy formalizes that partnership and gives both sides a clear, predictable process to deliver projects safely, efficiently, and to the highest standards of workmanship.
“Our members build the infrastructure that keeps the Hudson Valley running, and this policy means they’ll be the ones doing that work for years to come. Central Hudson has been a real partner to the building trades. They invest in this region, they hire local, and today they put that commitment in writing. That’s what a good employer does, and it’s why our members stand with Central Hudson,” said Todd Diorio, President of the Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council, Chairman of the New York State Laborers’ PAC and Special International Representative.
Following the signing, labor and business leaders held a listening session on the proposed Hudson Valley Power Authority Act, legislation in Albany that would result in a government takeover of Central Hudson. The discussion, hosted by the Protect Our Power Coalition, focused on what this would mean for union jobs, reliability and the energy costs Hudson Valley families and businesses pay. Heather Bell, President and CEO of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, moderated the panel.
Panelists highlighted the cost of purchasing Central Hudson’s infrastructure, which would fall on customers, and the more than $60 million Central Hudson contributes each year to schools and local governments. They also stressed the value of the experienced workforce that maintains the system and responds when storms hit.
The Protect Our Power Coalition is a partnership of local economic development groups, chambers of commerce, labor unions and community advocates working to keep energy in the Hudson Valley affordable, reliable and accountable. The Hudson Valley Building and Construction Trades Council is a coalition member.
