The Westchester County Board of Legislators has developed legislation that if enacted into law would require companies bidding for county construction contracts to have apprenticeship programs in place. The legislation is presented as providing a way for county residents to obtain the skills and training required for careers as skilled craftspeople.
The legislation due to be taken up by the board is titled “Mandating Apprenticeships in County Projects.” If passed and then signed into law by the county executive any company putting in a bid for a county construction project costing more than $250,000 will be required to have New York state registered apprenticeship programs in place. Contractors with 14 or fewer employees will be exempt from the requirement.
“This is a win-win-win for Westchester County,” said Vedat Gashi, chairman of the Board of Legislators. “When the county builds, this law will ensure we are also building opportunity for residents, raising construction standards, and making sure our public dollars reflect our values. Apprenticeship programs have a proven track record of creating economic opportunities. We are proud to put that record to work for Westchester. I am grateful to our labor partners and my colleagues whose commitment made this possible.”
Legislator David Tubiolo said, “After working on this for two years, I’m proud we’re announcing this labor apprenticeship initiative. This will give residents a clear pathway to good-paying, skilled careers while ensuring our county projects are built by highly trained professionals. Supporting union labor means supporting safer worksites, stronger communities, and lasting economic opportunity right here in Westchester.”
Legislator Jenn Puja, chair of the board’s Labor Committee said, “I’ve seen firsthand how apprenticeships open doors to good-paying union jobs and strengthen our workforce. Thank you to our labor partners and legislative colleagues whose dedication and persistence made this reality.”
According to Legislator Emiljana Ulaj, vice chair of the board’s Labor Committee, “Getting an apprenticeship in the building and construction trades is like finding a golden ticket for youth in our region. Building trades’ apprenticeship programs lead to family-sustaining jobs with excellent benefits, all without the burden of college debt. And unlike so many other jobs which could be threatened by advancements in technology, the building trades will be leading the way in addressing some of the highest need areas that we have. Apprentices will help us build more housing to address our housing shortage crisis, build climate resiliency to address the infrastructure challenges that we are flooded with due to climate change, and they will upgrade aging infrastructure in our communities like school buildings.”
The legislation was endorsed by Thomas Carey, president of the Westchester/Putnam Central Labor Body AFL-CIO.
“Our apprenticeship programs throughout Westchester County have a proven track record for providing highly skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen to hit the ground running on every level of construction, renovation, and continuous maintenance,” Carey said. “These apprentices are trained in their respective trades, which are fully funded, approved apprenticeships that will promote a lifelong career and, most importantly, teach them the latest safety training.”
Richard McSpedon, vice president of the Westchester/Putnam Central Labor Body AFL-CIO and business representative for Local 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers said, “Everyone’s path is different and not all paths go through college. Apprenticeships are a true pathway to the middle class. I hope more municipalities follow Westchester’s lead in supporting apprenticeships.”
