Schools

Union Workers Protest at Farmingdale State

Local 66 members stood on Route 110 protesting this week.

Workers from Local 66 of the General Building Laborers union are protesting the hiring of a non-union company for a project at

Local 66 has worked on several campus projects, including current ones, and alleges that non-union workers were hired for construction work at the heat plant.

"We typically have a good relationship to the college but have to stand up for proper prevailing wages," said union representative Joe Montalbano.

Find out what's happening in Farmingdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Local 66 members protested at the Farmingdale State College entrance on Route 110 with signs and a giant inflatable rat. Members at the scene said the union plans to have protesters march in front of the college until their grievances are addressed.

"People have been beating up organized labor recently, but that's not not a good thing," Montalbano said. "We fought for fair wages. It was organized labor that gave people weekends off, 40 hour work weeks, weekends and time off."

Find out what's happening in Farmingdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Montalbano said that Local 66 maintains that the non-union company is not wearing the proper attire at the construction site and questions their safety practices and if they pay their employees fair wages.

"When we go to a project our workers have all kinds of training, including a 4,000 hour apprenticeship where they learn safety guidelines," he said.

The Farmingdale State College administration says that the project was awarded fairly.

"By state law we have to put all our construction projects out to bid and if the company that happens to offer the best value doesn't employ union workers, there is not much we can do about it," said director of communications Kathy Coley.

Montalbano says they haven't gotten a formal response from the college.

"This type of hiring destroys the fabric of our country," he said.


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