Local 1740 Members Tell School Construction Authority 'Give Us a Raise!' Amid Stalled Negotiations for Expired Labor Agreement

NYC School Architects, Engineers, and Technical Professionals rallied with community leaders in front of School Construction Authority (SCA) headquarters in Long Island City on Thursday in an attempt to bring SCA back to the bargaining table as wages and benefits for 300-plus workers hang in the balance.

SCA workers haven't had a raise since before the pandemic. The contract that covers School Architects, Engineers and Technical Professionals who ensure NYC school building safety expired three years ago in 2021. The union has been through 14 sessions of bargaining with SCA without an agreement, and the SCA will not commit to another bargaining date. This leaves the wages and benefits of 300+ Local 1740 members uncertain and affects NYC public school construction projects.

There's currently a 20% vacancy rate among these employees who working families rely on to make sure we're building schools that can keep our children and our educators safe. We need to be able to retain and recruit the very best, which is why it's so critical they get a fair contract with the wages and benefits they deserve. Members were joined Thursday by AFSCME DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido, DC 37 President Shaun D. Francois I, NYC CLC President Vincent Alvarez, NYS Senator and Labor Committee Chair Jessica Ramos, Senator Kristen Gonzalez, NYC Councilmember and Finance Committee Chair Justin Brannan, Councilmember Julie Won, Councilmember Lincoln Restler, union leaders and allies. Check out more photos from the rally along with updates here.