Union leaders blasted Suffolk County for scrapping a virtually 20-year contract with a unionized development agency in favor of a politically related contractor.
The Suffolk County Division of Public Works abruptly axed its longtime contract with union-backed, Bohemia-based Austin Drywall Corp., final month — then moved to award the work to Renu Contracting & Restoration, owned by Michael VanDenburg, who was appointed final 12 months to the county Planning Fee by Republican Suffolk Government Ed Romaine.
Union leaders bashed the transfer Friday as political favoritism.
“[Austin Drywall Corp.] was praised by the County Government, praised by Majority Chief [Nick Caracappa,] and had a very good file — there are questions that have to be answered,” Democratic Suffolk Legislator Greg Doroski instructed reporters alongside a military of union employees outdoors of the county Public Works constructing in Yaphank.
Union leaders and Democratic officers each demanded the county’s GOP-led administration instantly reverse course, calling the deal a “battle of curiosity” as a consequence of VanDenburg’s place in county authorities and his frequent donations to Republican committees in Suffolk, in accordance with marketing campaign finance information.
Labor officers additionally pointed to Suffolk’s personal labor legal guidelines, claiming the contract is being awarded to an “ineligible” firm.
Suffolk County’s Apprenticeship Legislation requires contractors awarded public initiatives topping $250,000 to take part in state-registered apprenticeship applications, which is supposed to coach native employees and save taxpayers cash, since apprentices can legally be paid much less whereas studying on the job.
“The county seems to have waived that regulation,” union labor chief Vincent Alu stated. “If we’re a nation of legal guidelines, those that implement the regulation should comply with the regulation, and the county should clarify how and why it could have violated its personal regulation.”
The brand new contract additionally raised purple flags for union leaders over the prevailing wage, the state-mandated minimal pay contractors should provide employees on public jobs to forestall firms from undercutting wages.
Officers stated the Austin Drywall deal was a large “on-call” contract value tens of millions that allow the county shortly deploy union employees for repairs, and accused officers of giving Renu “preferential therapy” by permitting a bid they imagine fell under prevailing wage whereas imposing labor requirements inconsistently, though the contract quantity has not been publicly disclosed.
“We’ve questions,” Democratic Suffolk Legislator Jason Richberg stated.
“At a time the place we’re seeing file numbers of individuals at meals pantries, we don’t need to see our native women and men not in work, we need to see native work carried out with native individuals,” Richberg added.
County officers, nevertheless, vehemently deny any wrongdoing and rejected claims of facet stepping the regulation or enjoying politics — however didn’t say why they terminated Austin Drywall Corp.’s contract regardless of the administration’s previous reward of the contractor.
“This contract was put out to bid in accordance with the provisions of New York State and Suffolk County regulation,” stated Charles Bartha, commissioner of the Suffolk Division of Public Works.
“The bids have been fastidiously scrutinized, and the contract was awarded to the bottom accountable bidder, because the regulation requires,” Bartha added, stressing that the choice “shouldn’t be construed as a unfavorable as to the standard of some other bidder.”
Republican sources near the bidding course of known as the outrage all “politics.”
