Westchester County Labor Committee Meeting - May 27, 2026

The Westchester County Board of Legislators Labor Committee met on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 2:08 PM in the Committee Room at the Michaelian Office Building, White Plains, NY. Chair Jenn Puja presided. The transcript also shows Legislators Williams Johnson and Barr participating, while the minutes list Legislator Puja, Legislator Clements, Legislator Nolan, and Legislator Ulaj as present and Legislator Tubiolo as absent. The committee discussed EV charging station financing, lease-out legislation, and mandatory hospitalization coverage requirements, and honored the memory of labor advocate Dylan Baye.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of the May 4, 2026 joint meeting were approved unanimously.

Discussion Items

EV Charging Station Projects

• Rich McSpedon reported on a county proposal to invest approximately $5.5 million in EV charging stations across 24 municipalities, with examples including White Plains (7 locations, 75 ports) and Yonkers (6 locations, 60 ports).
• Chair Puja raised questions about whether the county's project labor agreement (PLA) law, including the $250,000 trigger, and prevailing wage requirements would apply to these county-funded projects, and how funds would be distributed among municipalities.
• Legislators noted that installations would be on municipal-owned property (e.g., parking lots, libraries, DPW lots), and discussed whether a PLA would be with the county or each municipality.
• Irvington and Bronxville were mentioned as municipalities pursuing projects; the list of 24 municipalities was requested for follow-up.

Lease Out Legislation

• The committee discussed draft "lease out" legislation that would require project labor agreements, prevailing wage, and apprenticeship standards for construction work on county-owned property leased to private entities (e.g., parking lots, rooftops for solar panels, Playland, Westchester County Airport).
• Chair Puja explained it reverses the "lease back" legislation previously passed, and provided two draft versions created with ChatGPT for review.
• Members expressed support, emphasizing the importance of protecting public property and ensuring fair labor standards on publicly owned assets.

Mandatory Hospitalization Legislation

• Discussion centered on proposed legislation requiring all contractors and subcontractors on county-funded or induced projects to provide hospitalization coverage to employees.
• Chair Puja noted similar state legislation exists and discussed applying the requirement through the Westchester County IDA using tax incentives as leverage.
• Legislators raised concerns about subcontractor oversight, third-party compliance, and random site checks.
• Members expressed strong support for the measure, comparing it to the county's leadership on earned sick leave.

Other Business

• A member introduced a memo for potential legislation to protect the workforce from AI replacement, specifying that AI should be used only as a tool. Legal counsel reportedly indicated AI would likely serve as a research aid.
• Members shared anecdotes about automation in garbage trucks and delivery robots, with support for protecting jobs.
• Anthony Reda from Westchester Community College reported no updates on prior business.
• The committee recognized the sudden passing of Dylan Baye from 32BJ, a longtime labor advocate, and adjourned in his honor.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes approved.
• Adjourned at 2:43 PM on motion by Legislator Nolan, seconded by Legislator Clements, with all present voting aye.
• Follow-up actions: Rich McSpedon will supply the list of 24 municipalities and answer questions on PLA applicability, prevailing wage, and money flow; Chair Puja will connect with Peter McCart; lease-out draft will be shared and forwarded to legal; mandatory hospitalization will be discussed with the IDA; AI memo will be revisited after law department response.
• The next meeting is planned for July, with scheduling to be announced.