Recommendations Include Reforming HPD’s Procurement and Reporting Requirements To Combat Wage Theft And Worker Exploitation
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Greater New York LECET
Oct 31, 2016, 10:35 ET
NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Before a New York City Council hearing today, the Mason Tenders District Council, Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), called for reforming the procurement and reporting requirements of the Department of Housing Preservation & Development. After years of mismanagement, flawed procurement processes and corruption, Greater New York Laborers-Employers’ Cooperation & Education Trust (GNYLECET), submitted a series of recommendations at today’s Committee on Housing and Buildings hearing on Intro 967, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito’s and Councilmember Helen Rosenthal’s legislation to reform HPD in relation to construction conditions in housing development projects.
“Intro 967 is a great first step towards reforming HPD and leveling the playing field in their procurement process,” said Pat Purcell, Executive Director of Greater New York Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust. “For too long the same unscrupulous contractors have been receiving a steady stream of work from HPD, while their indiscretions in regards to wage theft and safety violations have been largely overlooked. If amended to include recommendations like the ones we are advocating for at the Council today, Intro 967 has the potential to rectify a long-term problem at one of the City’s most critical agencies and ensure the gold-standard of construction is being upheld when HPD looks to award projects,” Purcell said.