Transcript: Mayor Adams Announces Historic Labor Agreements Covering Over $1 Billion in Capital Projects to Deliver Critical Infrastructure, Transform Willets Point, and Secure[...]

November 21, 2024

First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer: Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us today for such an important and historic announcement. My name is Maria Torres-Springer, I'm the first deputy mayor for the City of New York. But before I get started, I think we should all thank God for the rain that has come to our city. We need more of it, but it's something to be very grateful for today.

I am so pleased to be here with Mayor Eric Adams, with so many colleagues across the administration, with our partners in elected office, and, of course, with BCTC President Gary LaBarbera. We can clap for him. And all of our distinguished partners to celebrate a truly transformational moment for our city. Today, we are advancing New York City's vision for inclusive growth, one that lifts up the working people of the city. We are taking bold steps to ensure that our city's largest and most ambitious capital projects will be completed with high-quality union labor, creating thousands of jobs, and fostering economic opportunity in communities that need it most.

Today is possible because since day one of this administration, our next speaker really insisted that we not just think about growing our economy, but we do it in a way that results in good-paying jobs for New Yorkers across the five boroughs in ways that lift up their families and lift up neighborhoods. And so, without further ado, the 110th mayor of New York City, Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thanks so much, First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. And this is just a really exciting moment for me. Anything we do in our lives is both professional and is personal. There's just a personal narrative. Gary and I have known each other for such a long time, and we have been engaged in this work, and I'll desire his spirit and energy. He believes in unions. He believes in unions, and he believes in ensuring that the people who built this city can afford to work and live in this city. And he has compassionately shared that with me in our journey from the days of state senator to borough president and now the mayor of the City of New York.

And he knows my compassion about diversifying the workforce, making sure that we have a workforce that's reflected in what this city looks like. And he has pushed towards that. And the intersectionality of our relationship has allowed us to sit down and come up with good ideas of how to get this done. And so, to stand here next to Gary means a lot to me, and I appreciate your work and your commitment throughout the years.

A blue-collar mayor. This is a blue-collar city. Those men and women who stand behind us with their hard hats on, or those who are on these job sites, they're not asking for handouts. They are asking to give the right salaries and benefits that they deserve for their families. You can't build luxury high-rises and affordable housing, when the men and women who are putting the shovel in the ground cannot participate in that success.

And today, as the first deputy mayor indicated, we are taking a giant step forward on ensuring that we are going to continue to build in this city, and nothing is going to distract us or get in the way of our success of expanding this city. Drive by Willets Point. If you drive by Willets Point, you will see how far we've come from the days of seeing a blighted community where it was just no roads and just repair shops and salvage shops.

Now, it is going to be a place where community is going to thrive and grow, a soccer stadium, a school, outdoor spaces, 2,400 units of affordable housing. That is what you call getting stuff done, and I want to thank both the Borough President Donovan and Councilman Moya for both having a vision in the borough of Queens. As they say, Queens get the money, and you're seeing that every day as they continue to build.

And this administration will always stand with working people. I'm clear on that, and those who make life in this city possible every day. So today, I'm proud to announce that the City of New York has reached two project labor agreements with the Building and Construction Trade Council that will cover more than $1 billion in construction projects, including generational infrastructure improvements in Willets Point, where we're building a brand-new neighborhood, as I indicated, and it is going to be part of a union-built community, and that is crucial.

These agreements support fair wages and put working-class New Yorkers first, and they use our city's purchasing power to connect underserved New Yorkers to quality union careers and apprenticeship opportunities through community hiring. The jobs created and wages paid for these projects will stay right here in New York City. It will be built in New York City. The benefits in New York City, the wages in New York City, the recycling of the economy is right here in our city.

And this includes NYCHA. As you know, we included NYCHA in our overall housing plan, and we're going to continue to ensure that NYCHA reaches its full potential. As well as those zip codes that have been forgotten for far too long, this city has overlooked far too many communities like in Willets Point, and we are saying we're all part of the improvement of this city.
And so we want to connect New Yorkers to good-paying jobs and career opportunities, specifically to a career that supports their family, a career that gives New Yorkers the chance to work with dedicated teams and dreams of big solutions to big problems, a career that transforms lives, creates communities, and builds for the future. We want to support local jobs and promote and protect local economic growth.

That is why we are hiring from our communities and hiring union workers. And that is why these agreements also have ambitious M/WBE goals, because our minority women-owned firms have been passed by for these projects for decades. And hats off to our Chief Diversity Officer Michael Garner, and what he continues to do in this area.

These agreements also mean that we will be able to build and complete projects faster and more efficiently by reducing bureaucracy, cutting red tape, and minimizing delays. This is government working better for our people, with our union brothers and sisters, and that is what city dollars should be doing, creating opportunities for New Yorkers who need them most and putting community first.

But we're not stopping with these projects, and we're not stopping at just $1 billion. We're working on labor agreements for another $2 billion in generational projects, including our life science center in Kips Bay - hats off to Andrew Kimball, job well done. Redeveloping the Kingsbridge Armory, which many people stated it could never be done. Congressman Espaillat and the team up there, we're finally getting it done with the partnership of the governor, and reinventing the Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx, a partnership with Councilman Salamanca.

And these agreements gives us a framework for future agreements covering another $50 billion in projects. That means tens of thousands of good-paying jobs for our union brothers and sisters, and hundreds of projects delivered on time, on budget, for New Yorkers. We know we can't get things done in this city without unions. The Building and Construction Trade Council and the rest of our brothers and sisters in organized labor keep New York strong.

We're making sure our union members get the wages, rights, and respect they deserve, and delivering on our vision for a more livable, affordable city. We're ensuring that New York City is not only the greatest city in the world to live, but also one of the greatest places to work. And as a mayor, probably one of the few mayors, not the only, that had a union card, I know what today means to all of us. Job well done, Gary. Thank you very much.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you so much, Mayor Adams. Through these agreements, we're ensuring that New Yorkers will continue to benefit from this model of inclusive growth as we move forward with so many ambitious plans. And I'd like to echo your thanks to the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York for their leadership and partnership in making this a reality.

I think together, we're proving that public works, fair wages, and community investments can truly go hand-in-hand. And so now, it's my pleasure to introduce BCTC's champion for working families and sustainable growth, the tireless president of BCTC, Gary LaBarbera.

Gary LaBarbera, President, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York: Good morning, and Maria, thank you for that kind introduction. Mr. Mayor, first of all, thank you for your very kind words, and I want to assure you, and I think you know this, I feel the same way toward you. We have a very long relationship, and I want to say, number one, that Mayor Adams is a blue-collar mayor. And we've had many conversations over the years about the intersection, how can we accomplish multiple goals? And the project labor agreements and utilization of the project labor agreements do that.

Project labor agreements make projects more efficient. They actually save money to the capital plan and the capital budget, which creates more opportunity. We also have historic provisions in project labor agreements to reach into underserved communities and bring people into the building trades through our pre-apprentice and direct entry programs and our recruitment programs. And this is a pathway into the middle class. This is just not a construction job. It is a pathway into the middle class, building a stronger middle class, a stronger blue-collar middle class.

And this mayor has demonstrated time and time again his commitment to efficiencies for the city, as well as taking into consideration creating good union jobs. Again, pathways into the middle class. As you heard in the mayor's comments, this is just the beginning. We are doing things that have never been done before with the mayor's leadership in terms of these project labor agreements, the horizontal project labor agreement never existed before the Adams administration.

EDC projects that were mentioned, again, thank you, Andrew Kimball, under project labor agreements. He mentions the stadium, project labor agreements. The infrastructure second phase at Willets Point, project labor agreements. Now, these project labor agreements not only are an important workforce tool, but they also take serious consideration into the M/WBE community.

There was a time, I have to say this, there was a time that there was the sense that the M/WBE community and the unions could not work together. And thanks to Mayor Adams' leadership and his constant commitment to this, and Chief Diversity Officer Michael Garner, we are in the process of conversations on how we are going to connect these M/WBE contractors with all the unions.

We think we can accomplish two things at the same time. We can exactly accomplish workforce development, creating good union jobs and pathways into the middle class, and also supporting M/WBEs to come into this work and hopefully eventually through a mentorship program become good union contractors. And that's what the city needs. So this is a win-win all around. And again, all the things that we've mentioned today are really historic.

And I have to attribute it to Mayor Adams' commitment and leadership, again, to the City of New York, but in his heart as a blue-collar mayor to working people, working men and women in this city, and his support for organized labor. So, Mayor Adams, thank you for everything that you've done and what you'll continue to do. And I am honored and proud to stand with you today. Thank you.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you so much, Gary. As you mentioned, the agreements being signed today are certainly about a number of jobs that are associated with this type of work. These are the strong commitments on M/WBE and the strong commitments on community hiring, legislation, of course, that we fought really hard to get in Albany just a couple of sessions ago.

One of the agreements, as the mayor mentioned, is for the next phase of infrastructure for the incredible set of projects that we have in Willets Point, really building a whole new neighborhood. So our next two speakers have been so instrumental in making sure that we didn't just get it right this time, because the project there has been around for a while, but really in many ways in record speed. And so it's my honor to first introduce the Borough President of Queens, Donovan Richards.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards: Thank you, Maria, and I couldn't be prouder to be here this morning. And first, let me start by thanking both Mayor Adams, Councilmember Moya, who's been on this journey for a long time, to Gary. And, you know, I would start by saying vision is the art of seeing what's invisible to others. And this is visionary. And this is historic, this morning, this announcement.

But for something historic like this, I couldn't be prouder to be back at City Hall. I miss this place on some days. But what we are building at Willets Point is nothing short of transformational. The 100 percent largest affordable housing development in New York City since the 1970s. An all-electric soccer stadium that will create hundreds of good-paying jobs and give Queens its own professional soccer team. A hotel, 80,000 square feet of retail space, three acres of public open space. This is going from what we considered and what was called the Valley of Ashes to a Valley of Opportunity.

This project is historic in every sense of the word and will change thousands of lives for Queens residents. But when we talk about what amenities this project has, it's easy to lose sight of who we're actually building for. While Queens was and is and always will be a union town, first and foremost. Also, one of the things I want to point out in being close to Corona is we can't criminalize our way out of poverty. And this is a response to many of the issues we see systemically that have impacted this community for decades.

So that's what makes this such a momentous day. Because we won, our union brothers and sisters won, and our families won. And as the mayor alluded to, this is not about a handout. It's about a hand up for the residents of this community. And we won because Willets Point will be built with 100 percent union labor, 100 percent. We won because we are making unprecedented investments in community hiring, supporting M/WBEs and creating jobs and apprenticeship opportunities for our neighbors.

And we aren't simply looking for sports contact. Our communities are looking for M/WBE contracts. I want to thank Michael Garner, who's going to do this work for us to make sure we reach these stated goals. I've always said that economic development must be rooted in community development. It's not enough to just build a building. You have to build up the community around that building. And that means creating jobs, boosting wages and investing directly in the families who call the community home.
With these PLAs, we're putting money right into the pockets of Queens residents working at Willets Point. We're creating an avenue for families to put food on the table, to put a roof over their heads and start to build generational wealth through a union job.

And to me, that's just as important as the number of housing units we're building or how many seats are going to be in the soccer stadium.

To the mayor, to our union brothers and sisters, it's been an honor to work with you on this project. To Councilmember Moya again, this is really a great day for Queens. We certainly scored a goal for the world's borough. Congratulations to all.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you so much, borough president. But perhaps there is no one who has been a greater champion of the transformation that is happening in Willets Point than our next speaker. And so I just want to thank him for all of that leadership and for the very critical vote he's about to take in just a few short minutes, and so let's make sure we're efficient here. But Councilmember Francisco Moya.

City Councilmember Francisco Moya: Thank you. Good morning. Thank you, Maria. Thank you for everything that you do. Thank you for making our city the greatest city in the world for all your great work. But I also have to thank you for being the person that took the step stool out so I don't feel so bad while I'm up here on the podium.

Good morning, everyone. I am Councilmember Francisco Moya, and it's an honor to be here today for this historic announcement. It's a milestone, not just for Willets Point, but for the future of New York City. And I want to start off by thanking Mayor Adams, my partner and friend, and someone who has shown his leadership in making sure that this agreement becomes a reality.

I also want to thank my brother, Gary LaBarbera, the president of the Building Trades and Construction Trade Council for Greater New York. Gary, who shares my vision, I went to him about 20 years ago and I said, Gary, I think this is a possibility. And he was like, okay, Moya, I'll listen to you. I'll listen to you. But it has happened. Today is a great day for you, but more importantly, for the great advocacy and support that you give to all your members, the union members that are here standing behind us today.

God bless you all. To all my brothers and sisters in labor, thank you for what you do. Thank you for building the greatest city in the world and making it the safest city when we go and we construct brand new neighborhoods like the one in Willets Point.
So when I first stepped into the City Council, my mission was to create a real path towards affordable housing in Queens. Today, we're making that vision a reality by building the largest 100 percent affordable housing development New York has seen in 40 years. What makes this moment even more remarkable is the commitment to ensuring this project is built by the most highly trained, safest, and skilled workforce in our city. And that is our union brothers and sisters. Yes.

This isn't just about constructing infrastructure. It's about creating stability and opportunity for working middle class families. It's about paychecks that support mortgages that put food on the table and provide a future for thousands of New Yorkers. By building a union, we're tackling what truly matters, ensuring families can live and thrive in this community, creating thousands of quality jobs that allow workers to support their loved ones.

We've been given a once in a lifetime opportunity to build an entirely new neighborhood, and we're doing it the right way. This is a win for our city's working families and for Willets Point. And for all of that, I want to thank again Mayor Adams, I want to thank Maria, I want to thank Andrew, I want to thank Michael, I want to thank the entire team here at City Hall for the great work and vision of making this a reality. I want to thank my colleague in government, Borough President Richards, for being a great partner throughout this process and making sure that not only Queens gets the money, but Queens gets a championship.

NYCFC playing the crosstown derby this weekend against a team that likes to say they're from New York, but they're really from New Jersey. So let's go, boys in blue. Thank you. But we're not just building homes. We're building hope, opportunity for a stronger New Yorker. And with that, I thank you. And let's continue to be scoring goals for New York City. Thank you. God bless you all.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you so much, councilmember. Today's announcement represents the hard work of so many across different sectors. And it also, of course, represents the hard work of our colleagues in city government. And so I want to, in particular, thank President Andrew Kimball of the Economic Development Corporation. Also, DDC Commissioner Tom Foley is here.

Of course, the amazing deputy mayor for operations, Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, and the teams that negotiated these PLAs with BCTC to such a successful conclusion. We've talked a couple of times about the fact that these PLAs represent historic and meaningful commitments to M/WBEs. And so to speak more about that, I'd like to welcome our Chief Business Diversity Officer, Michael Garner.

Michael Garner, Chief Business Diversity Officer, Mayor's Office: Good morning. This is a great day in the greatest city in the world. You know, it is often said that unsuccessful people, they're blinded by problems because they have an inability to focus on solutions. But I'll tell you that under this Get Stuff Done, Adams administration, Mayor Eric Adams and Gary LaBarbera are two leaders who focus on solutions and are not blinded by problems.

And let me say that this is one city, and we're focusing on making sure that everybody has the ability and prosperity. Queens borough president, who has one of the largest construction projects in his borough, and he focuses on M/WBE, and that's at the JFK Airport, the $19 billion project that's happening, transforming JFK Airport.

And so we want to make sure that these PLAs are cost effective. They have the ability for the City of New York to build their projects safely, timely, on budget and inclusive of M/WBE goals. And why is that important? Because M/WBEs now have the ability to usher their workforce into good paying jobs, good paying benefits. Access to contracts equals job creation in those communities of color who have historically been shut out. It also equals homeownership opportunities for the business owners, better education opportunities and healthcare options for their respective families.

I've started out by saying that this is a great day in the greatest city in the world. Let's move forward in a way where everyone is going to share in the prosperity. Build union, build faster, build better. Thank you.

Question: [Inaudible] about the hiring of these jobs and just the execution of Mets-Willets Point?

Mayor Adams: Do you want to do that?

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Yes, I'm happy to. So if folks haven't been to Willets Point, there's already an enormous amount of work that has happened. One of the things that we did in this administration with the mayor's leadership is to accelerate the affordable housing. So that has started. The PLA today is for public infrastructure so this now will allow us to do that work over the course of the next few years in ways that really allow us to complete the full transformation of the neighborhood.

But overall, we're still on track, right, Andrew, to have the stadium open by the 2027 season. And so I'll remind folks that that's 14,000 construction jobs altogether. On community hiring, so this is really important because we sought legislation that would allow us to allocate a certain percentage, in this case, 30 percent of those jobs to NYCHA residents or individuals who are living in areas with high poverty.

And so it's built in now into these agreements and we are going to be able to start connecting New Yorkers to those opportunities. For those opportunities and so many others, I want to direct New Yorkers to jobs.nyc.gov so that they see both apprenticeship opportunities, other construction opportunities, and more information about what we've done on community hiring.

Question: I guess to bounce a little bit off Justin's question, when can we expect a ground-breaking for the soccer stadium? I don't know if the lease has been signed yet.

Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Soon, any day now.

Question: And additionally, I know you said the 2027 season. I know it was supposed to be in place, wishful thinking, for the 2026 World Cup. Is it the fiscal year? Is that different for the seasons for soccer? Is there a delay in it? I'm just confused.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: No, no delay, no delay. Andrew, do you wanna?

Question: So how is it gonna be?

Andrew Kimball, President & CEO, New York City Economic Development Corporation: Thanks, absolutely no delay. The plan has always been to have it ready for the 2027 season. We're incredibly proud to be co-hosting the World Cup in 2026, another enormous accomplishment of the Adams administration, leveraging billions of dollars of economic impact. It will be fantastic for the city to show at that time that we are building our first privately-financed professional soccer stadium for the world's sport in the world's borough. So we're very excited.

Question: I just wanna say a few words about, I know they just announced the name of the soccer stadium. If that's correct, CBS, what was it?

Mayor Adams: Is it the Councilman Moya Stadium?

City Councilmember Moya: I repeat, I am not the spokesperson for the soccer stadium. It's Etihad, yes. And that's been their partnership for years. Yeah, great. And like I said, this Saturday, five o'clock, come en route for the boys in blue against New Jersey. And let's bring that MLS Cup back home to New York.

Question: I have two sets of questions. The first one, could you just explain a little bit why, like what a PLA is a little bit, basically why it's advantageous for the city to sign one? It seems like wages, M/WBE requirements, they're negotiated on a project by project basis all the time. I thought Design Build was a state tool that was like authorizing the state budget that the city was already using. So can you just explain kind of basically what is a PLA and why do you sign them?

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Absolutely. So the city has signed PLAs before, but what is transformational about what we're announcing today is that for infrastructure related to an economic development project, and because we are not losing time, we did get the authority for Design Build. We want to build those projects. So now we have the PLA that will allow us to do a few things. And I want to be very clear about the goals of PLAs.

They are a great tool to ensure cost-effective, efficient, and safe capital project delivery. Through PLAs, we promote fair wages and benefits by ensuring labor harmony, right, on critical projects. And importantly, and this is, I think, the signature of the Adams administration, is that we're making sure that they also allow in a very meaningful way for aggressive workforce development efforts like community hiring and expanding apprenticeships. So those are the components that make for a PLA, and we are using this tool as aggressively as possible in this administration.

Question: How does it save money, and do you have to have a PLA to use Design Build? Is that like a requirement?

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: For the city's Design Build program, that is the commitment that we are making. That's right. Do you want to talk more about? Sure. Do you want to add more about PLAs and how they work for infrastructure projects?

Question: How does it save money?

LaBarbera: They're efficient, and so it actually brings the cost of the project down. And the beauty of that is this money comes. If you don't mind.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: No, go ahead.

LaBarbera: Yeah, just capital dollars. That goes back into more construction projects. So it's like an ecosystem.

Question: Otherwise, you would have to negotiate with each individual union and like you would just.

LaBarbera: Right, and that's the other thing, right? So it's an agreement that's signed by the affiliates of all the building trades in the City of New York. So it's a very efficient method of delivering construction projects.

[Crosstalk.]

Commissioner Thomas Foley New York City Department of Design and Construction: Yeah, so Commissioner Tom Foley, DDC. So in order for us to utilize Design Build on our growing portfolio, so that's why we have a PLA. Specifically, there's a number of projects that have been identified that will be breaking ground in 2025 with this amazing announcement today. And our growing Design Build program is really setting the stage throughout the country. So we're absolutely delighted to be here.

Question: One super quick follow up. The city, you mentioned this 100 percent affordable housing building in Willets Point. I know the council has tried to pass legislation before mandating union labor on affordable housing projects. Are like 100 percent affordable projects financed by the city covered in this PLA or will they be? And is there anything like new about that?

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: No, not for this particular project. But here's what the mayor and BCTC have been working on is to show, and we did an announcement of this earlier in the year, a workforce housing fund that would capitalize affordable housing projects and use and ensure that these are good paying jobs that I think will help prove a model.

So we're really excited about that partnership and we can reshare that press release. But there's always a balance between ensuring that public expenditures and subsidies on affordable housing have us build as much affordable housing as possible and that where it is possible, and I think we're showing today, we are turning over every stone to find those opportunities for good paying union jobs.

Question: You mentioned that there have been PLAs in the past. Can you explain what's new or different about this one other than being, Willets Point, is it the Design Build component?

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Yes, so it is, because of the Design Build authority that we got, this is a PLA for that body of work. It is historic for the Economic Development Corporation, not just on Willets Point, but on all the projects that the mayor mentioned, SPARC Kips Bay, Kingsbridge Armory as well, and Hunts Point Produce Market, a real framework for how to do this type of work in partnership with BCTC, and the community hiring and M/WBE goals. I really can't stress enough, that is what is new and meaningful, and really tied to the mayor's values since we started in office.

Question: If City of Yes passes, will you be looking to implement more PLAs in those projects?

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: I'll say if the City of Yes passes, we will have done so much to bring relief to New Yorkers across the five boroughs.

Question: I just want to ask one more question. Just in terms of saving money with the scheduling, is there a kind of gauge or estimate on how much money the city saves using a PLA like this?

LaBarbera: Well, you can determine that, number one, by schedule, and the Design Build piece also. It's a very efficient delivery model. Design Build, rather than design-bid-build, creates schedule efficiencies. So there is, you know, it depends on the project, depends on the scope of the project, but the fact that the delivery systems are advancing projects quicker, obviously spending less money, less duration and less expense.

Question: Is there a numerical value on this that you can estimate? Like how much money this would save the city in this case?

LaBarbera: Well, yes, what I can tell you is on one of the earlier project labor agreements that was a $4 billion city PLA, the feasibility study demonstrated it's worth $347 million worth of savings. That's a fact.

Question: [Inaudible]

LaBarbera: So, it's about 10 percent.

First Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Thank you.

###

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.