Proposed legislation, currently awaiting approval in the New York Assembly, seeks to mandate the State University of New York to prioritize in-state contractors and unionized labor for campus construction projects.
The move comes in response to out-of-state companies, employing cheaper, non-union labor, being awarded large-scale projects on SUNY campuses.
The legislation stipulates that SUNY campuses must enter Project Labor Agreements for projects exceeding $3 million and favor New York companies and workers.
Critics of the current system argue that it tends to favor the lowest bidder, often companies paying their workers inadequately or without benefits, while ignoring the quality of the workforce and the impact on local employment.
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