WHITE PLAINS, NY—A bill submitted to the Westchester County Board of Legislators will require landlords, who lease property to the County, to hire contractors and subcontractors who pay prevailing wages for certain construction services performed on county-leased facilities.

The proposed law, the “Westchester County Lessor Prevailing Wage Act,” addresses the current law by ensuring that construction workers on projects undertaken for the county, but performed on leased rather than publicly owned property, receive fair wages consistent with the county’s longstanding commitment to equitable labor standards.

Under New York State Labor Law, prevailing wages are required on public work projects. However, when construction takes place on privately owned property leased by the county, those projects may not always meet the legal definition of “public work” even when they directly benefit County operations and the public. Workers on those projects are not currently guaranteed prevailing wages, county officials stated.

“We stand firmly with organized labor,” said Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins who recently introduced the legislation to the County Board. “This legislation ensures fairness and consistency across all construction projects undertaken for Westchester County. When work is done to support county government and serve our residents, the workers performing that work deserve fair pay. By addressing the situation, we are protecting workers, promoting high-quality construction and ensuring that our public investments reflect our values.”