Requires the metropolitan transportation authority to prioritize and hire union labor for proposed public work before making a contract available for public bidding.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9052
IN SENATE
October 14, 2020
___________
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, in relation to prioritizing
union labor for certain transit projects of the metropolitan transpor-
tation authority
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The section heading of section 1265-a of the public author-
2 ities law, as added by chapter 929 of the laws of 1986, is amended to
3 read as follows:
4 [Contracts] Union labor and contracts for public work.
5 § 2. Section 1265-a of the public authorities law is amended by adding
6 a new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
7 1-a. Union labor. (a) For any contract for public work the authority
8 shall first make substantive effort to utilize union labor for all or
9 significant aspects of the public work.
10 (b) The authority shall determine the feasibility and appropriateness
11 of union labor by taking into consideration, among other factors, the
12 availability of skills and expertise in relation to the requirements of
13 the public work.
14 (c) Substantive efforts to secure union labor for proposed public work
15 shall include but not be limited to, publishing and advertising the
16 proposed public work, conducting outreach to relevant labor unions and
17 holding a meeting regarding the nature and terms of such proposed public
18 work.
19 (d) Upon failing to secure union labor and prior to publishing a
20 contract for public work, the authority shall send a written notice to
21 the city commissioner of transportation, the comptroller and the city
22 commissioner of labor explaining with specific detail:
23 (i) the effort the authority made to secure union labor for the
24 proposed public work;
25 (ii) that such effort failed; and
26 (iii) the intention of the authority to publish a contract for public
27 bidding as a result.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD17406-04-0
S. 9052 2
1 (e) The authority shall spend a minimum of twenty business days seek-
2 ing union labor for the proposed public work.
3 (f) Contract for public work may be published for bidding only after
4 substantive effort to engage and secure union labor has been made by the
5 authority and only after written notice has been submitted to the city
6 commissioner of transportation, the comptroller and the city commission-
7 er of labor.
8 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
