Richard Palladino, business manager Local 91 in his Niagara Falls office.

There is a great deal of optimism in the air these days about the future growth of local construction jobs in Niagara Falls thanks to intensive, behind the scenes negotiations between Laborers’ Local 91 and the New York State Power Authority.

“I believe we have a firm commitment from the Power Authority on hiring local workers,” said Richard Palladino, business manager for Local 91 who has taken the lead in the negotiations with Gil Quiniones, president and CEO of the New York Power Authority (NYPA).

Palladino said the commitment, which he calls “a major step forward” in getting more construction jobs in the Niagara Falls area, came about after he was finally able to connect with NYPA after a long period of deadlock and what he calls a “shell game” by the Power Authority that left local workers out in the cold.

The issue came to a head over work at Norampac Industries’ Greenpac Mill project on Packard Road where Palladino said local construction workers were being bypassed on the $430 million paper mill plant even though there are extensive government and energy subsidies involved.

“We were never able to get a meeting with the Power Authority [on Greenpac and other work projects] and we were never able to resolve anything,” said Palladino during a recent interview. Then we had a meeting with Sam Hoyt, the local head of the governor’s regional economic development council, and things started to happen.”

Palladino said Hoyt, at that first meeting, called Quiniones, and then he received a call from the Power Authority’s leader and the ice was broken. “He [Quiniones] sent people down from White Plains . We had two meetings and he flew in people for both. I explained that we needed local hires at the Power Authority and he said he wasn’t aware that local workers were not being hired.”

Palladino also credited Lewiston Assemblyman John Ceretto for helping to break the stalemate by participating in the talks and picketing the Packard Road site with Local 91 workers and State Sen. George Maziarz. City officials also joined that picket line.

Ceretto tells the Niagara Reporter that after learning of the situation [of out of state workers being hired], he wrote to Quiniones seeking an explanation and also met personally with Quiniones to stress “the impact of hiring out of state workers on the local work force.” Ceretto added that given the poor job picture in Niagara Falls, getting a commitment from NYPA on local hiring “is a big win for us.”

Palladino said it is a major step forward for the local economy and the 345 active members of Local 91, and believes the Power Authority sincerely wants to fix the problem here over local jobs, adding “I don’t think they would have done all this if they were not going to make an attempt.”

Palladino said Local 91 is just asking for the opportunity to participate going forward and he now believes he has that commitment.

“The Power Authority pays the prevailing rate,” says Palladino, “and if they pay local workers, that money will be spent here in the Niagara region. Right now, they are addressing the issues with the governor’s office and I believe they sincerely want to make things right.”