Oppose Expanding Design-Build Authorization

OPPOSE EXPANDING DESIGN-BUILD AUTHORIZATION
Part U of S8308/A8808
Transportation, Economic Development, and Environmental Conservation
Executive Budget Bill

The New York State AFL-CIO, representing 2.5 million union members, retirees, and their families oppose the above-referenced part of the executive budget proposal.

This bill would expand the use of design-build, an alternative contracting method that bypasses the fiscal, public oversight, transparency, and labor protections required of competitive bidding laws. The bill would allow the Dormitory Authority to manage projects under design-build contracts for state and local projects authorized under the Environmental Bond Act of 2022; the American Rescue Plan of 2021; the Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

This proposal does not specify that all labor protections required of other public works construction projects would also apply to the projects authorized by this bill. The bill also opens the door to the privatization of public services as it does not specify that public employees would continue to perform the duties and services on public facilities affected by this act. The last design-build extension enacted in 2022 for 5 years, was limited in its scope, and contained these types of labor protections. No expansion of design-build is needed.

Therefore, this Federation urges this part of the executive budget proposal to be defeated.

For further information, contact the Legislative Department at 518-436-8516.