The New York City Building and Construction Trades Council announced Thursday, Feb. 2, its endorsement of Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz for re-election, adding to her growing list of endorsements from organized labor unions.
The Council, which represents more than 10,000 tradesmen and tradeswomen across New York City, consists of local affiliates of 15 national and international unions. The BCTC advocates for the advancement of workers’ rights, economic security and middle-class employment opportunities for its membership and all working people, as well as safe working conditions across the city’s booming construction, development and real estate communities. BCTC President Gary LaBarbera said his union shares Katz’s commitment to keeping workers and Queens families safe.
“District Attorney Melinda Katz has done a phenomenal job ensuring workers are treated fairly and safely in Queens while keeping them and their families safe. Our members’ families rely on common sense leaders who aren’t afraid to stand up for them, and that’s what Melinda Katz has always been,” LaBarbera said. “Melinda Katz has earned our trust, another four years, and we are proud to stand with her as she runs for reelection.”
As its members work on construction sites from Long Island City to Flushing and the Rockaways, the Council has been instrumental in guaranteeing safety at all construction sites across the city. It has led the charge in supporting legislation that protects the health, safety, and dignity of New York’s construction workers, no matter their union affiliation.
Meanwhile, Katz launched the borough’s first-ever Housing and Worker Protection Bureau to prosecute bad actors and protect workers. Her office also has an active task force that regularly communicates with trade unions to update them on the issues. The week began with Katz landing endorsements from ten organized labor unions one week after her campaign was endorsed by the healthcare workers union, 1199SEIU.
“I am honored to be endorsed by the New York City Building and Construction Trades Council and their members who have built and continue to build New York City,” Katz said. “Worker safety and ensuring fair wages are paid to workers have been top priorities of mine as a district attorney and they will continue to be every day I’m lucky enough to serve. I look forward to joining members from across the Building and Construction Trades Council on the campaign trail as we work to earn another four years.”
Katz is facing a challenge in the June 27 Democratic primary from Douglaston resident George Grasso, who retired as an administrative judge at Queens Supreme Court, criminal term, in August 2022 to run for district attorney. Grasso served more than three decades in the NYPD, rising through the ranks to become the first deputy police commissioner before stepping down in 2010 and heading to the bench.
