Gary LaBarbera

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gary LaBarbera is an American labor leader.[1] He has served as president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC) since 2009.[2][1] He is also the founder and chairman of NYC Helmets to Hardhats, a non-profit that places veterans into careers in the construction industry.[3][4] In 2017, LaBarbera was appointed to the board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey by Governor Andrew Cuomo.[5]

LaBarbera has also served as president of the New York City Central Labor Council, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Joint Council 16, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 282.[6]

Early life[]

LaBarbera began his career as a forklift operator with Teamsters Local 282 on Long Island.[6] He graduated from the Labor Studies Program at Cornell University’s School of Industrial Labor Relations in 1994.[6]

Building and Construction Trades Council[]

In 2009, LaBarbera was elected president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC), a labor organization composed of local affiliates of 15 national and international unions.[2][7] BCTC represents approximately 100,000 construction workers in New York City.[8][9]

In his capacity as president, LaBarbera negotiates project labor agreements (PLAs) with city agencies and private construction firms, notably Hudson Yards labor disputes.[10][11] He has negotiated PLAs on $25 billion worth of private-sector construction work and $15 billion worth of public work.[6] Under his leadership, the Building Trades have become increasingly diverse. Of the 8,000 Building Trades apprentices enrolled in 2012, 75% were residents of the five boroughs and 65% were minorities.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Kusisto, Laura (2015-06-13). "Growth of Nonunion Construction Tests New York City Labor Leader". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  2. ^ a b Massey, Daniel. "Powerful labor leader settles charges against him". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  3. ^ "Ulrich Honored by Helmets to Hardhats Group | The Forum Newsgroup". theforumnewsgroup.com. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
  4. ^ a b ""President Gary LaBarbera Bio"". 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
  5. ^ "Cuomo to nominate LaBarbera to Port Authority board". Politico PRO. 2017-05-30. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
  6. ^ a b c d "The labors of LaBarbera". The Real Deal New York. 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  7. ^ Bredderman/span>, Gerald Schifman and Will. "Unions dominate list of city's top political donors". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  8. ^ "New Construction Safety Bill Draft Slammed by Open-Shop Reps". Commercial Observer. 2017-07-26. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  9. ^ "City Must Tackle Barriers to Career-Track Jobs in Construction, Advocates Say". City Limits. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  10. ^ "With Pickets and Lawsuits, Unions and Developers Go to War". The New York Times. 2018-04-13. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  11. ^ "Mayor Bloomberg Announces Labor Agreements On Public Projects to Reduce Costs, Spur Projects and Create Jobs". The official website of the City of New York. November 24, 2009. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
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