Commentary

Fair Wages Built Westchester.
Let’s Keep It That Way

By JOHN COONEY, JR., and TODD DIORIO

Westchester County didn’t build itself. Generations of union labor did—brick by brick, beam by beam. They’ve paved our roads, built our train stations and constructed the bridges that connect our communities. Union labor hasn’t held Westchester back; union labor has powered its growth and made it safer by building it to last.

As leaders of a Hudson Valley–based business coalition and a regional laborers’ union, we come to this issue with different perspectives but with a common purpose: building a stronger Westchester. One of us represents hundreds of employers working to invest, grow and hire in the region. The other represents the skilled men and women who bring those projects to life safely, efficiently and with pride. Together, we understand that long-term economic success depends on a balanced partnership between business and labor, grounded in fairness and shared responsibility.

White Plains Hospital has committed to using union labor on its $750 million expansion that is expected to be completed by 2028. Two bills in the state Legislature will require contractors to pay prevailing wage rates for construction work on private construction projects that benefit from public financing and subsidies.

We believe that the workers building our future—especially on projects backed by significant taxpayer dollars—should earn a fair wage. When public money supports private development, the public deserves more than just promises. It deserves real returns in the form of quality construction and middle-class careers and employment opportunities that boost our local economies.

That’s exactly what pending legislation to New York’s Labor Law requiring prevailing wages on private construction projects that receive at least 20% public funding—will deliver. The proposed changes (A6708/S6378) would also eliminate the ineffective Public Subsidy Board, which has too often failed to protect taxpayer interests.

Critics of reform claim this bill is “anti-business,” warning that the new measure could stall development, citing concerns about Westchester’s tight housing market. We share those same concerns—but we reject the false choice between fair wages and more housing. We can, and must, have both.

Let’s be clear, paying prevailing wages doesn’t break project budgets. Labor represents just 25% of total construction costs, meaning fair pay has only a modest effect on overall expenses. The benefits, however, are far-reaching. Workers who are paid fairly don’t just build, they buy homes, shop locally and support small businesses. Every dollar in prevailing wage earnings returns approximately $1.50 to the local economy. These are dollars spent at neighborhood stores, invested in schools and returned to public coffers through taxes.

Public funds should not be a vehicle for low-wage labor. Businesses should not be profiting off the backs of workers and the taxpayers who unknowingly subsidize their payrolls. If a project is receiving substantial public support, the people footing the bill, namely the residents of Westchester, deserve to see quality outcomes, fair employment and economic return.

Lawmakers have a clear choice: they can invest in a stronger, more equitable future or they can allow public money to subsidize a race to the bottom. We urge them to pass A6708/S6378 and stand with the workers and businesses that make Westchester thrive.

About the authors: John Cooney, Jr., is Executive Director of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley, Inc. Todd Diorio is President of Hudson Valley Building Trades Council and Chairman of the New York State Laborers PAC.

To read their complete commentary, see the June issue of CONSTRUCTION NEWS, www.cicbca.org.

Published: June 10, 2025.

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