Empire Zone funding low wages

By DAVID HULSE

MONTICELLO, NY — Representatives of organized labor charged last week that many businesses in Sullivan County’s Empire Zone who receive tax breaks for new construction and hiring are paying substandard wages.

Jennifer Fuentes of the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation said wage statistics provided by the Empire Zone’s administrative board revealed average wages among some 100 listed businesses at less than $6 per hour, while labor officials placed the “poverty threshold” at $9.21 per hour.

Fuentes suggested that legislators look at standards and criteria for future designations to the zone. “It’s not enough to focus on the quantity of jobs.”

The Teamsters, Civil Service Employees Association and the Laborers International Union also took part in discussions at the kickoff meeting of the legislature’s new Labor Subcommittee on April 21. Legislative Chair Chris Cunningham said the committee had been formed to begin a dialogue about common concerns and goals that could happen apart from the negotiation track.