Anthony Rayside (Local 79) on construction career transformation

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

My name is Anthony Rayside.

I'm sorry about that.

That's all good.

I'm from Brooklyn.

I'm a proud Local 79 member and shop steward.

I'm here today to voice my support of the Construction Justice Act as part of the mayor's housing plan.

Before I joined Local 79, I worked for one of the labor broker companies that provides labor for residential construction in the city.

I know what it's like to work for a company where you are paid low wage with inadequate benefits for grueling work.

I did not have any financial medical stability.

I could never take my family on vacation.

When I began to work union jobs, the fair wage package, I was actually treated with dignity and told my rights as a worker on a site that took safety seriously.

Now I don't have to worry about my family in case I get sick.

I'm able to provide my family with economic stability I did not know before, or had before, rather.

There is no reason that publicly funded projects should use low-wage labor brokers to fulfill their staffing needs.

What example is the city setting when they facilitate worker exploitation on construction sites?

When the city spends our tax dollars to build affordable housing, we need to see those dollars coming back to our communities in the form of local higher jobs with good wages.

The Construction Justice Act is key to ensuring our public funds are spent properly.

Our city needs well-compensated jobs with strong legal protection to give all workers the same voice with stability that the union have given both me and my family.

Thank you.

Thank you.

For your time.