Montclair Schools Pledge To Use Union Workers For Big Bond Projects

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Public School District will be using unionized workers for all projects issued under last year’s bond referendum that exceed $5 million, officials say.

In 2022, local voters approved $188 million worth of school construction work, which will be partly paid for with a series of bonds. Read More: Landslide Win For Montclair School Referendum, Unofficial Results Show

On Monday, the Montclair Board of Education held a signing ceremony for a project labor agreement that was recently inked and approved at their Sept. 6 meeting. Read More: Montclair Schools And Union Contracts; District Offers Update

“This agreement will ensure that major projects supported by the bond referendum, passed last November, will be awarded to union contractors,” administrators previously said. “We will be assured reliable, skilled and experienced labor, afforded reasonable costs and the [agreement] will maximize all safety conditions for both workers and the public.”

The cutoff threshold stands at $5 million, administrators said.

According to a statement from the superintendent’s office, construction work has already kicked off. The first contract assigned through the agreement – for the construction of a new baseball field – was awarded to Flanagan’s Contracting Group Inc. and approved at the Nov. 1 board meeting. Construction is expected to begin later this month, with a target completion date of “mid-March.”

“We are pleased to be partnering with Essex County Building Trades Council to ensure we have reliable, skilled and experienced labor to work on our school projects,” Superintendent Jonathan Ponds said.

“Getting these major construction projects completed for our students and using local labor unions is gratifying,” the superintendent added.

The district’s business administrator, Christina Hunt, said that “setting high standards” before major projects are launched will help ensure “successful outcomes” – and greater accountability.

Other attendees at Monday’s ceremony included Rocco Lepore, president of the Essex County Building Trades Council, and soon-to-retire New Jersey Assemblyman Thomas Giblin.

“One of the goals of a PLA is to get local building trade members work near where they live, which is beneficial for them and their communities,” said Lepore, who is also council representative for the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.

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