Building Trades, Central Hudson Sign Labor Agreement
By JOHN JORDAN
NEWBURGH, NY—In a significant victory for the region’s building trades, the Hudson Valley Building & Construction Trades Council signed a new labor usage policy with Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. of Poughkeepsie, NY, on Oct. 13. The agreement will ensure local union worker participation in major utility projects across the region going forward.
At a signing ceremony held at the Laborers Local 17 Training Academy in Newburgh, NY, Todd Diorio, president of the Hudson Valley Building & Construction Trades Council, and Stephanie Raymond, president and CEO of Central Hudson, signed the new labor policy agreement before union members and regional business leaders.
Under the new policy, Central Hudson projects valued at more than $1.5 million that do not carry prevailing wage requirements will be performed under a Project Labor Agreement, while projects valued at more than $375,000 that include prevailing wage requirements will be performed by union workers.
Mr. Diorio said the agreement was the result of 14 months of negotiations between the building trades and the utility. Central Hudson serves approximately 315,000 electric customers and 90,000 natural gas customers in eight counties in New York State’s Mid-Hudson River Valley. The utility delivers natural gas and electricity throughout a 2,600-square-mile service territory that extends north from the suburbs of metropolitan New York City to the Capital District around Albany.
Building trades unions have long worked alongside Central Hudson’s contractors to modernize the Hudson Valley’s energy system. The policy formalizes that partnership and gives both sides a clear, predictable process for delivering projects safely, efficiently and to the highest standards of workmanship, Mr. Diorio noted.
“Our members build the infrastructure that keeps the Hudson Valley running, and this policy means they’ll be the ones doing that work for years to come. Central Hudson has been a real partner to the building trades. They invest in this region, they hire local, and today they put that commitment in writing. That’s what a good employer does, and it’s why our members stand with Central Hudson,” said Mr. Diorio, who also serves as chairman of the New York State Laborers’ PAC and special international representative.
Ms. Raymond recognized the local labor unions that perform utility work for Central Hudson, including Laborers Local 17 and IBEW Local 320, which together represent approximately 600 Central Hudson employees.
“I believe signing this agreement will really set up the framework moving forward,” Ms. Raymond said. She said the company seeks to help foster prosperity for its customers and the community, adding, “We need skilled labor. I am concerned about not having the skilled labor, and that is why these types of agreements make sense.”
Mr. Diorio vowed that the building trades would stand with Central Hudson Gas & Electric and others in opposition to a bill proposed in Albany that would result in a government takeover of the utility.
Published: October 15, 2026.