ALBANY—The New York State AFL-CIO and The Business Council of New York State, Inc. are jointly supporting proposed contract extensions for more than one hundred New York Power Authority (NYPA) expansion and replacement power customers.
“New York must do everything it can to create and sustain jobs, and these contracts will help to do just that. We must tackle this state's unemployment problem head on. So we need to keep important programs with meaningful wage standards, like Power for Jobs, going strong as we look for additional ways to improve our economic development strategy,” said Denis Hughes, president of the New York State AFL-CIO.
“These contracts are vital to help keep good paying manufacturing jobs in western New York and encourage more than $150 million in annual capital investment in the region,” said Kenneth Adams, president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State, Inc. “The high cost of power in New York is a major problem for many businesses, driving jobs and investment out of state. These contracts make businesses more competitive.”
NYPA is holding a public hearing in Lewiston, NY on proposed power contracts with 106 companies in the region that employ more than 28,000 workers. Many of these workers are unionized and their unions as well as the AFL-CIO are supporting the contracts.
The Business Council's full testimony is available here.