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| Steve Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York |
By Daniel Massey
The city's leading real estate group said the tentative agreement with unionized concrete workers does not provide enough cost-savings to developers.
Sources said the deal includes a wage increase of approximately 8% over three years and a 20% wage reduction on hotel and residential buildings of 16 or fewer stories. It was that latter provision that left members of the Real Estate Board of New York, who had hoped the savings would extend to hotel and residential projects of any size, bristling. Its members typically build larger projects using union labor.
“From what I know, it doesn't sound like they've made any progress towards encouraging developers to not consider nonunion work,” said REBNY President Steven Spinola. “If they're basically giving a break for buildings under 16 stories, well, they've already lost that business. What we're trying to argue is, ‘My members want to continue to build union, but help us compete.'”
An industry source said that while the 20% reduction is automatic on hotel and residential projects 16 stories and shorter, the deal includes a provision for contractors to get the discount on taller buildings on a case-by-case basis.
“If what we know is true, then what the contractors and unions are saying is, ‘To those who build nonunion, we'll cut you a deal, but to the folks who build union, screw you,'” said one real estate executive.
Officials from the Cement and Concrete District Council, which led negotiations for the unions, did not return calls seeking comment. Officials from the Cement League, which bargained on behalf of contractors, declined to comment.
The deal, reached hours before Tuesday night's deadline, covers 2,700 concrete workers. They had been preparing to strike Wednesday.
DROP DEAD UNITY TEAM !
ReplyDeleteSteve Spinola doesn't have the slightest idea what the men and women in union construction do everyday.Why would he hes accomplished zero.He doesn't understand that if we don't produce we get laid off. He doesn't realize what its like to hope a project starts right away.What he does understand is free lunch off our backs ,and he cant resist the freebies. He likes lunches that cost more than your net weekly paycheck. SO GO FUCK YOURSELF STEVE, LOUIS, DOUG, DENNIS, FRANK, and lets not forget JOHNNY THE BALLWASHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteExactly - what do any Realtors do...what do they produce - Answer, not a Damn Thing!
ReplyDeleteThey talk a good game about what everyone else does, they can show you where the Subway Station is, the front door of the Building, help you find the Elevator Lobby, wave their hand & say this is the bathroom, break room, kitchen & corner office....here's the triple net lease etc.
In short, they sponge off the backs of the hard work of many other people and they produce diddly squat - except for a lot of Hot Air.
Manhattan is an International destination for business and he readily ignores that fact as well as the extremely high cost of living in NYC & the 5-boroughs.
Steve Spinola would prefer all construction workers to be paid Minimum Wage without benefits, so he and his fellow realtor buddies could make more money for doing nothing and producing nothing.
Here's the kicker - any Union Tradesman could readily take his job, yet he would not survive one day on a Union Construction site - he wouldn't even make Coffee Break and he'd be crying for his mother
Spinola - you ass, here's an offer, anywhere in the city when you want to jump on a crew Placing and Finishing Concrete, call us - we'll set it up and we'll invite the Press over to watch and record you work, to attempt to make it through one shift.
ReplyDeleteMatter of fact, any one of the Lawyers or UBC Officers, BTEA are all free to sign up.
It would be our pleasure to watch you all cry like the little girly men you really are! You ladies wouldn't get a yard placed before the crocodile tears started. You'd be sore for months.
It would be a Youtube Hit