(DUNKIRK, NEW YORK) – Councilman Don Williams, Jr. did not mince any words during what was described by Chautauqua County Building Trades Representatives as a Solidarity News Conference held earlier this week in regards to a Non-Union contractors’ group recently holding a public event to bad mouth Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) in expectation of one being used on the upcoming $200 million Athenex Plant Construction Project in Dunkirk.

“There are a ‘lot of lies’ out there (on PLAs) and the (Non-Union Associated Building Contractors Organization) has been trying to make area residents ‘fear’ one,” Williams (Pictured Below/This Photo and Others Appearing With This Labor News Story are Courtesy of Kim Williamson via the Social Network Facebook) told WNYLaborToday.com by phone after the news conference that was held on Monday (April 11th).  “I took part in this news conference because of what the Associated Building Contractors (ABC) are saying and the ‘bullshit’ they’ve been spreading.  The ABC came into Dunkirk and told people that if the project carried a PLA, they ‘wouldn’t be hiring local’ Workers.”

“And while I was there to listen to what the ABC said, I didn’t know any of the ten people who took part in ‘their’ news conference.  I ‘don’t even know if they live here.’  But at the ‘Solidarity News Conference,’ I recognized ‘most’ of the people in the room.  So, I know it will be a ‘local’ project with ‘local’ Workers employed on it – it will be these people who will be on the job,” said Williams, a Union Member himself with the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) and former President of CSEA Local 807.

Southwestern Building & Construction Trades President Steve Thorpe (Pictured Below), who also serves as Business Manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 112 in Jamestown, told Your On-Line Labor Newspaper that he attempted to detail the PLA process from beginning to end - what it entails and what must be done before any such Labor Agreement is adopted on the project. 

“This is a ‘very good opportunity’ for Chautauqua County and I spoke about the process a public entity ‘must enter into’ in order to put a PLA in place,” said Thorpe, who added that as many 200 local Construction Workers would be employed on the Athenex Project.  “For starters, a cost study must be done to determine cost-savings and I ‘emphasized’ how the Dunkirk community can ‘get involved before the bidding process even begins’ to make sure there are ‘Local Hire’ Provisions included in the PLA, as well as hiring of Women and Minorities on the project.”

The Solidary Press Conference also addressed a letter that was sent to Governor Andrew Cuomo and signed by Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas, Councilmen Williams, Marty Bomanto and Andy Gonzalez, Jr., as well as Chautauqua County Legislator Bob Bankoski.  It read:

Dear Governor Cuomo,

On behalf of the City of Dunkirk, we would like to thank you for your determined commitment to the City and the surrounding area. You placing $200 Million in the 2016 Budget to construct a state-of-the-art facility, just outside our City line, is a game changer for our area.  Athenex, one day, should employ 900 people and the passage of the budget with the money to fund the building project will spur development like this City has not seen in recent years.

As we are sure you are aware Governor, a group recently visited our City from out of town.  The group, Associated Building Contractors (ABC), held a poorly attended press conference to protest the use of PLAs on State funded building projects.

We would like you to know and rest assured that this out of town group does NOT represent the views of the City of Dunkirk!  On the contrary, we support and welcome your use of a PLA on the Athenex Project.

As you well know, a Project Labor Agreement or PLA: Provides owners and contractors access to the highly-skilled workforce necessary for complex projects; Establishes terms and conditions for labor in advance so that contractors are able to make exact bids; Eliminates cost-overruns and project delays; Ensures value, quality and cost savings for owners and/or taxpayers; Fuels growth of communities; Provides long-term project stability; DOES NOT hinder competition or restrict bidding to Union-Only; and Is available to any contractor who will accept its terms.

Numerous Court decisions have stated that New York State’s Competitive Bidding Laws are NOT violated by using a PLA, which also: Establishes goals or requirements for the inclusion of small businesses, minority contractors, women contractors and businesses that meet disability requirements; Include provisions that require companies to comply with Federal and State laws governing workplace safety and health and equal opportunity laws; Includes provisions for training, including Apprenticeship Programs and increased career opportunities for Workers from low-income communities; Provides structure for collaboration with local workforce entities; and enforces and monitors the outcome of training provisions; and is the best way to facilitate an on-time on-budget project completion.

Once again, we’d like to thank you for all you have done for our region and we support you & Project Labor Agreements

Athenex is described as a global specialty oncology pharmaceutical company that is focused on the development and commercialization of next generation therapies for cancer diseases and supportive therapies.  It pharmaceutical 300,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that will be built in Dunkirk is anticipated to create 900 good-paying job.

Dunkirk, which has a high poverty rate, has 12,000 residents.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 106 President David Wilkinson (Pictured Below), who also serves as President of the Jamestown AFL-CIO Central Labor Council and is a high ranking Labor Official of the Chautauqua County Labor Coalition (which combines the strength of the Jamestown and Dunkirk Labor Councils into one driving force across Chautauqua County) also spoke at the news conference, telling WNYLaborToday.com: “We were there to support the governor’s efforts for getting the Athenex Project in the state budget and to talk about the ‘beneficial aspects’ of PLAs, their call for local Workers to be hired on the project, Apprenticeship efforts and providing a ‘good’ wage to local people who live in this city and county and pay taxes here.  What the ABC is telling people is a ‘lie’ that ‘no’ local people would be hired on the project ‘if’ it carries a PLA.  However, a PLA ‘has to show’ cost savings before it can be implemented.  But in the end, it’s all about using ‘local’ taxpayer dollars to hire ‘local’ people.”

Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Richard Lipsitz (Pictured Below) traveled to Dunkirk from Buffalo to speak at the news conference, telling WNYLaborToday.com: “This conversation about the ‘pros and cons’ of a PLA go back some eighteen years when one was used at the Greater Buffalo International Airport Improvement Project.  It was implemented there and worked, as it did on the billion-dollar Buffalo Public Schools Project.  I had thought the ABC had ‘gone away,’ but they’re back – like a ‘bad penny.’  Obviously the work would be kept local, so you won’t have Workers coming in from places like Ohio and the Carolinas.  The money will be circulated ‘here’ in Dunkirk – which is ‘very important’ that these tax dollars are spent this way.”