UNION CARPENTERS RALLY WITH STATE AND LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO #ENDWAGETHEFT
UNION CARPENTERS RALLY WITH STATE AND LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO #ENDWAGETHEFT
Union Members, Elected Officials, and Victims of Wage Theft Met Outside the Waldorf Astoria, the Most High-Profile Work Site of Trident General Contracting, Who Has History of Wage Theft
A Lawsuit Against Trident General Contracting at This Site Was Filed in December 2020 Alleging Wage Theft
Rally Attendees Called for Action from New York State to Pass S.2766/A.3350 and Combat Wage Theft in the Construction Industry
New York, NY – On Thursday, May 6th, union carpenters and state and local elected officials rallied outside the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan in a show of support for New York State to take action against wage theft by passing S.2766 in the Senate and A.3350 in the Assembly, sponsored by Senator Jessica Ramos and Assembly Member Latoya Joyner, respectively. By requiring general contractors be held liable for wage theft and civil violations committed by any subcontractor on its job site, the Wage Theft Bill would finally hold contactors who value profits over people accountable for their actions.
NYC District Council leadership, including Executive Secretary Treasurer Joe Geiger, was joined by its partners Senator Jessica Ramos and Assembly Member Latoya Joyner along with Senator Brad Hoylman, City Council Member Francisco Moya, City Council Member and Comptroller candidate Brad Lander, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), Mayoral candidates Kathryn Garcia and Dianne Morales, City Council candidates Ischia Bravo, Marjorie Velazquez, and Shirley Paul, and a number of union carpenters and workers who shared personal stories of the impact of wage theft on their lives.
The rally was held at the Waldorf Astoria building, currently under construction for renovations. The historic NYC site served as a fitting location for the #EndWageTheft Rally since several union contractors submitted competitive bids for the $25 million expansion of the Waldorf Astoria, but open-shop developer AECOM Tishman chose to partner with Trident General Contracting, a company that has multiple pending wage theft lawsuits against it and a history of troubling workplace safety incidents.
“No one in New York State should ever have to worry about their boss stealing their paycheck, but for too many working New Yorkers that’s just a fact of life. For years, unscrupulous contractors have flown under that radar in broad daylight and built their million-dollar bank accounts by stealing the wages of workers who don’t know their rights or are too afraid to report the crime,” said Joseph Geiger, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the New York City District Council of Carpenters. “We must put the lives and dignity of our fellow New Yorkers ahead of contractor greed and end wage theft once and for all by passing legislation championed by Senator Ramos and Assembly Member Latoya Joyner: S.2766/A.3350. This bill will safeguard all workers and ensure everyone has a protection when their employer tries to steal their hard-earned paycheck.”
“New Yorkers are being robbed of their hard-earned paychecks every single day and it’s time we put an end to it,” said New York State Senator Jessica Ramos. “That’s why I’m sponsoring S.2766/A.3350 that will hold dishonest contractors accountable. The logic is simple: a full day’s work deserves a full day’s pay. I’m proud to stand with union carpenters at this rally to make clear that New York will not tolerate wage theft for one more day.”
“Wage theft is a crisis that hurts the construction industry, working class families, and our entire State’s economy. Now more than ever, we need to protect hard-working New Yorkers to ensure they can support themselves and their families,” said New York Assembly Member Latoya Joyner. “I commend union carpenters for advocating for victims of wage theft, including the workers employed by Trident General Contracting. It’s time to stand up to exploitative employers and put an end to wage theft for good, which we can do with S.2766/A.3350.”
Photos of the event can be seen below:
About NYCDCC
The New York City District Council of Carpenters is a representative body comprised of nine individual Locals and 22,000 union members. The District Council functions as the voice for thousands of New York City’s most dedicated and skilled Carpenters, Millwrights, Dockbuilders, Marine Divers, Core Drillers, Timbermen, Concrete Carpenters, Cabinetmakers, Floorcoverers and Industrial Workers.
