(TOWN OF TONAWANDA, NEW YORK) – The Unionized Buffalo & Niagara County Building Construction and Trades Council held an informational rally outside a taxpayer-funded Town of Tonawanda Project on Wednesday (February 15th), which is receiving more than $17 million in taxpayer funds, but is only creating what is described as a “handful of jobs.”

The former Woods & Brooks Factory Complex, which used to make piano keys, counts as many as 12 multi-floor buildings that are now slated to be transformed into business incubator space and 55 market-rate apartments, according to The Investigative Post.

And according to The Investigative Post, the developer - Michael Wopperer, estimates the Kenmore Avenue project cost at $23 million.  The redevelopment project of the existing site, which is anticipated to be completed this Fall of 2024, received $17 million in taxpayer subsidies - including brownfield cleanup tax credits, New York State and Federal historic tax credits, as well as property and sales tax breaks.  Total savings amount to 51% of development costs.

In exchange, Wopperer plans to create one full-time and two part-time jobs.

However, Building Trades Representatives note that when a construction project in New York State is valued at more than $5 million - and receives at least 30% public funding, the Construction Workers employed on that project are required to be paid local area standard wages and benefits.

But due to several loopholes in the law, they say, the project was exempted from those requirements.

And as a result of those loopholes, most of the Workers employed on the Wood & Brooks Project are likely to be receiving sub-standard pay for the work they perform, with the $17 million in taxpayer dollars only serving to enrich the wealthy project owners and what Trades Reps describe as “unscrupulous” contractors.

In the end, Erie County taxpayers and Workers, they say, “deserve better.”

“They are ‘using loopholes’ to (bypass) the Prevailing Wage Law,” International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) Representative Joseph Guza told WNYLaborToday.com while more than 50 Trades Leaders and Members held signs designed to resemble a notable burger franchise that read: Corporate Welfare King, Home Of The Wopperer.

“This project ‘meets all the criteria’ for Prevailing Wage,” Wopperer continued.  “It’s ‘really frustrating because it was Labor that supported and helped pass such legislation requiring Prevailing Wage on projects like this.’”

One Trades Rep told WNYLaborToday.com when the Trades Council made their concerns known to Elected Officials they received “no concrete answers” to their questions.

Guza said the Trades have reached out to Town of Tonawanda Supervisor Joseph Emminger, who Guza said also sits on the Erie County Industrial Development Agency Board, to make him aware of what was transpiring on the project. 

Guza said he was told by Emminger that he would “look at it.”

The project, according to the Trades, is about 40% complete.

Their action on Wednesday was to help bring public attention to what was going on with taxpayer funding on such projects, the lack of jobs it was creating and to question the health and safety of those Non-Union Construction Workers employed on the project.

They reasoned without a Union, Workers could be subjected to unsafe conditions, as well as not being paid what they could be making.

“The payment of Prevailing Wages ‘was put into the law when it comes to projects of this size, but the reality is that the funding of this project does the exact opposite of what the law was intended to make sure happened,’” Guza added.

For More On This Labor News Report, Go To: Millions in subsidies sought for Tonawanda piano factory rehab project : Investigative Post

WNYLaborToday.com Photos.