VALLEY COTTAGE – The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 363 held a labor rally Wednesday in Valley Cottage at the Clarkstown Executive Park where a large warehouse is proposed.
Local 363 Business Manager Sam Fratto said they rallied “to protect the standards of local workers which have been established over the years to support local families in the construction industry and in this case the electrical industry.”
While the project has not yet received approvals, Fratto said they received word that ARCO will be utilizing Ocean Coast Electric, the same electrical contractor they are using on the Montgomery project.
“IBEW Local 363 is concerned about Ocean Coast Electric undermining the electricians’ area standard rate for the Hudson Valley, which in turn affords an easy opportunity to submit the lower bids,” Fratto said.
He said they want to “protect the area standard and make it known that it is very important to hundreds and hundreds of families in the area to continue to have a standard to live by.
Fratto said these are only two projects, “the ripple effect could be devastating to local families and that is why we are out confronting this issue.”
