Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and the City of Hoboken today announced the City’s first-ever direct hire agreement with the Hudson County Building Trades. For certain public works projects identified by the City, skilled labor from Hudson County Building Trades will supplement the City’s existing workforce, ensuring living-wage jobs and quality construction work within the City of Hoboken. The union will prioritize hiring Hoboken residents as a part of the workforce for construction projects.
“Utilizing union labor not only ensures higher quality work on critical construction projects within our City and saves taxpayer dollars, but also provides for living-wages for workers,” said Mayor Bhalla. “This new program also prioritizes the hiring of skilled labor living in Hoboken, providing our own residents with access to better quality jobs. I thank the Hudson County Building Trades for initiating this program with Hoboken and look forward to a continued partnership as we build a better future for our City.”
“Creating a direct hire program in Hoboken is more than admirable, especially as we continue to emerge from COVID-19,” said Paul Roldan, Business Manager for Laborers Local 3. “This innovative program means more Hoboken residents will get back to work, and that critical public projects will get done in a way that is both more affordable and efficient.”
“This is a great opportunity for hardworking men and women of labor and I want to thank Mayor Bhalla for making it happen,” said Thomas Hurley, Business Agent for Carpenters Local 253.
All labor utilized by the City through the Hudson County Building Trades will receive prevailing union wages and benefits. The City will seek to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hudson County Building Trades to utilize union labor for nine public works projects in Hoboken including repairs to City buildings, sidewalk repair, masonry, and improvements in City parks.
The direct hire agreement between the City and the Hudson County Building Trades was authorized by the Hoboken City Council at tonight’s City Council meeting.
The City of Jersey City and Mayor Steve Fulop entered into a direct hire agreement with the Hudson County Building Trades in August of 2020, which recently utilized the program to renovate the first floor of City Hall.
