Statement on Gov. Hochul Hunts Point Access Press Conference

Today, at a press conference in the Bronx, Governor Hochul announced funding for the final stage of the Hunts Point Interstate Access Improvement Project. We agree with the goal behind the project and applaud the health and quality of life benefits it will bring to the community.  The mandated Project Labor Agreement will waste hundreds of millions of tax dollars and prevent local workers from benefiting from a project their tax dollars are funding.

PLAs force contractors to replace most of their workers with workers from the union hall, typically 3 out of 4 workers. Nonunion contractors, whose workers account for 70% of the construction industry, refuse to bid on this work because of these requirements. The lack of competition drives the project's cost and will sideline most local construction workforce. The Governor has some recent examples of the negative effects of PLAs. The Seneca Park Zoo PLA meant they only received one bid, it was $52 million over the projected budget. The Buffalo Bills Stadium is similar, with the PLA locking out local workers and the projected budget rapidly rising over budget.

As we stated, this is a great project with the potential to make a positive impact in the Bronx community, a PLA ensures that this positive impact will be minimized. It’s upsetting to see our elected officials continue to ignore the mounting evidence that PLAs consistently harm projects and the taxpayers that fund them.  Remove the PLA from this project and do what is best for the communities you claim to serve rather than doing what’s best for your political donors.