Dan York State of Mind

1/5/24: Michael F. Sabitoni

General Secretary Treasure of the Laborers’ Union of North America Michael F. Sabitoni joins Dan Yorke to discuss the Washington Bridge closure and the construction industry in Rhode Island.

The National Work Zone Awareness Week

Let’s all do our part to keep our roads safe. Slow down and stay alert when driving through work zones. We're showing support for road workers everywhere by promoting work zone safety.

This National Work Zone Awareness Week we remind everyone to ALWAYS engage in safe driving practices when approaching a work zone. The men and women keeping our roadways safe for us deserve the same in return - this week and every week.

Congratulations to new Laborers’ Local 271 Business Manager Joseph Vitullo, new Secretary Treasurer Christopher Sabitoni and the new local union executive board.

We thank our new LiUNA General Secretary Treasurer Michael F. Sabitoni and Vice President Dan Bianco for their tireless service.

#WeBuildRI #UnionStrong

BUILDING FUTURES GRADUATION

INNOVATOR Q&A: Tackling the opioid crisis from within the construction industry

Accidental overdoses have been on the rise in Rhode Island, where data around the opioid epidemic has been trending in the wrong direction for the last several years.

Click the Link below for the full article.

Brown commits to all-union labor, Building Futures support on construction projects over $25 million

Deepening its economic impact and commitment to supporting construction careers for local residents, Brown signed a labor agreement with the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council and Building Futures.

Click Link for the entire article.

Institutional partners and leaders from the 16 trade unions represented by the RIBCTC attended the ceremony and celebrated the signing of the landmark agreement

VOTE YES - BOND KICK OFF

MICHAEL SABITONI

GET OUT THE VOTE RALLY

TWIN RIVER, EVENT CENTER

The Promise of Offshore Wind for Rhode Island

Webinar on the promise of offshore wind for Rhode Island. Moderated by Kai Salem of Green Energy Consumers Alliance. Panel features RI Sen. Dawn Euer, Stacy Tingley (Ørsted), Adam Lupino (Laborers International Union of North America), and Charles Clarkson (Audubon Society of RI).

Adam Lupino - Laborers International Union of North America (Starts at 27:50)

Building Futures: RI Opioids Crisis

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on behalf of the RI Building & Construction Trades Council, RI Associated General Contractors, and BuildRI

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Opportunities for Family Supporting Careers in Construction 

BM Sabitoni :  The Apprenticeship FORWARD Project creates much needed diversity and equity within registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs to establish quality career construction paths for RI’s minority communities that have remained elusive for too long. This could not have been made possible without the hard work and tenacity by Senator Jack Reed, Building Futures RI, and the RI Department of Labor and Training. The $4M Federal Grant will boost construction apprenticeship and  RI Job-training.

Building Futures Group Photo.jpg

BM Michael Sabitoni : Excellent Op-Ed by Laborers' LU 271 Vennicia Kingston regarding changes to Providence Tax Stabilization Agreement.

A well thought out Op-Ed in today's Projo pertaining to Tax Stabilization Agreements (TSAs).

 City must level tax breaks for developers

Your Turn

Vennicia Kingston and Jose Marcano Guest columnists Recently, state leaders named racism as a public health threat, and even closer to home, the City of Providence released a comprehensive report on systemic racism in our city. It’s encouraging that leaders are looking for ways to tackle historical inequities baked into our policies and underwritten by our tax dollars. One clear next step for Providence city councilors to take: ensure a more equitable Providence by reforming how the city approves tax breaks for developers.

The Providence Tax Stabilization Investment ordinance would standardize the processes for future tax incentives for developers. Along the way, the reform would simplify an often convoluted, opaque process and add needed transparency by clearly defining the requirements that all developers must follow to get a tax break from the people of Providence. The proposed legislation’s appeal is that it not only protects the city’s financial interests, but also encourages new development by creating a system that’s more predictable, measurable, and accountable.

Another benefit of the proposed ordinance would be to ensure those who have historically been left out of development projects have a fair shot at new economic opportunities. When you look at Providence, you can see new apartment buildings, hotels, and other construction projects cropping up left and right – a positive sign of growth and local economic development. The problem? In addition

to being complicated and confusing, the current tax policy leaves too much to chance when it comes to creating on-ramps for minority- and women-owned businesses and workers to share in the prosperity.

Language in current tax stabilization agreements (TSAs) require recipients to make 'good faith efforts' to award to Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and Women Business Enterprises (WBEs). That’s simply not enough. We should set standards for inclusion and diversity in contractors and stipulate clear reporting guidelines to ensure transparency. TSAs with strong diversity and inclusion language can be a smart way for communities like ours to set fairness standards and ensure those who have historically been excluded from economic opportunities can reap the benefits of large-scale construction projects that stimulate the economy.

And it’s not just minority and women-owned businesses who would benefit; workers would make gains under the new regulations as well. Without strong oversight tools, recent data suggests many contractors who received tax breaks are committing wage theft by misclassifying workers and shaving off payroll expenses to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. This not only hurts individual workers but short-changes Providence residents as well. Under the new law, developers would be required to pay wages that follow industry and area standards during construction and beyond, ensuring family-sustaining wages to the workers building these projects and to the workers employed in them after construction. Some contractors are tossing out arguments that these new reforms would harm businesses owned by women and people of color. They know that if TSA reform goes through, they’ll need to follow city requirements

and pay fair wages, which will eat into their already exorbitant profit margins. In fact, the proposed legislation would level the playing field, uplift all workers — especially workers of color, and establish requirements to contract with women and minority-owned businesses.

As business owners and community leaders in Providence, we know that running a profitable business and uplifting our community doesn’t have to be in conflict. Everyone wins when the rules are clear and fair and when those who benefit from development are rewarded but also are held accountable.

Vennicia Kingston is the owner of Eagle Eye Post-Construction Service. Jose Marcano owns Jomar Painting