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Gary LaBarbera

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Gary LaBarbera is an American labor leader.[1] He has served as president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC) since 2009.[2][3] He is also the founder and chairman of NYC Helmets to Hardhats, a non-profit that places veterans into careers in the construction industry.[4][5] In 2017, LaBarbera was appointed to the board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey by Governor Andrew Cuomo.[6]

LaBarbera has also served as president of the New York City Central Labor Council, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Joint Council 16, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 282.[7]

Early life

LaBarbera began his career as a forklift operator with Teamsters Local 282 on Long Island.[8] He graduated from the Labor Studies Program at Cornell University’s School of Industrial Labor Relations in 1994.[9]

Building and Construction Trades Council

In 2009, LaBarbera was elected president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC), a labor organization composed of local affiliates of 15 national and international unions.[10][11] BCTC represents approximately 100,000 construction workers in New York City.[12][13]

In his capacity as president, LaBarbera negotiates project labor agreements (PLAs) with city agencies and private construction firms.[14][15] He has negotiated PLAs on $25 billion worth of private-sector construction work and $15 billion worth of public work.[16] Under his leadership, the Building Trades have become increasingly diverse. Of the 8,000 Building Trades apprentices enrolled in 2012, 75% were residents of the five boroughs and 65% were minorities.[5]

Controversy

LaBarbera has been criticized for contributing to New York City’s skyrocketing transit construction costs, which are the highest in the world.[17] Underground construction work, which is negotiated by BCTC member unions, is staffed by as many as four times more laborers in New York than elsewhere in the world.[18]

In December 2017, The New York Times published a story on the “excessive staffing, little competition, generous contracts, and archaic rules” that inflate New York construction costs, referencing LaBarbera’s hardball tactics.[19] When asked about cost overruns, LaBarbera responded, “Construction workers deserve every penny they make, and more.”[20]

References

  1. ^ Kusisto, Laura (2015-06-13). "Growth of Nonunion Construction Tests New York City Labor Leader". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  2. ^ Massey, Daniel. "Powerful labor leader settles charges against him". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  3. ^ Kusisto, Laura (2015-06-13). "Growth of Nonunion Construction Tests New York City Labor Leader". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  4. ^ "Ulrich Honored by Helmets to Hardhats Group | The Forum Newsgroup". theforumnewsgroup.com. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
  5. ^ a b ""President Gary LaBarbera Bio"". 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2018-06-13. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ "Cuomo to nominate LaBarbera to Port Authority board". Politico PRO. 2017-05-30. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
  7. ^ "The labors of LaBarbera". The Real Deal New York. 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  8. ^ "The labors of LaBarbera". The Real Deal New York. 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  9. ^ "The labors of LaBarbera". The Real Deal New York. 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  10. ^ Massey, Daniel. "Powerful labor leader settles charges against him". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  11. ^ Bredderman/span>, Gerald Schifman and Will. "Unions dominate list of city's top political donors". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  12. ^ "New Construction Safety Bill Draft Slammed by Open-Shop Reps". Commercial Observer. 2017-07-26. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  13. ^ "City Must Tackle Barriers to Career-Track Jobs in Construction, Advocates Say". City Limits. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  14. ^ "With Pickets and Lawsuits, Unions and Developers Go to War". The New York Times. 2018-04-13. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  15. ^ "Mayor Bloomberg Announces Labor Agreements On Public Projects to Reduce Costs, Spur Projects and Create Jobs". The official website of the City of New York. November 24, 2009. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  16. ^ "The labors of LaBarbera". The Real Deal New York. 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  17. ^ "Why Does Urban Rail Cost So Much in the U.S.?". CityLab. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  18. ^ "The NYC subway's construction costs are too high—and the reasons why are infuriating". Curbed NY. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  19. ^ Rosenthal, Brian M. (2017-12-28). "The Most Expensive Mile of Subway Track on Earth". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  20. ^ Rosenthal, Brian M. (2017-12-28). "The Most Expensive Mile of Subway Track on Earth". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
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