Community Corner
Here's Why Workers Are Picketing Outside Graduate Hotel Site In Princeton
The contractor of Graduate Hotel has hired non-local workers, prompting workers from the Princeton area to picket, union says.
PRINCETON, NJ – Residents and visitors have been greeted by a giant inflatable rat outside the Graduate Hotel construction site at 20 Nassau Street.
Electric workers are holding an informal picket line protesting the contractor’s use of out-of-area workers at the construction site.
Wayne DeAngelo, president of the County-based International Brotherhood of Electric Workers (IBEW Local 269), told Patch that all electric work at the site is being done by Academy Electric, that’s not from the Princeton area. The Hammonton-based company does not hire local workers or pay existing workers standard wages and benefits.
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“As a union, we are putting a notice out to the public, that on this project there are electrical workers that aren't being paid the area standard and the employees of Academy Electric are not from the greater Princeton area,” said DeAngelo, who is also an Assemblyman for NJ District 14.
“It's hard to find projects from your town and then you don't get the job.”
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DeAngelo has been on the picket line with the workers, hoping the contactor has a “change of heart.”
The Assemblyman said the union was taking a “greater regional opportunity” approach, where workers living in the area – Hamilton, West Windsor, Lawrenceville – find more work.
“People that are working on the project should be able to afford to live in the community that they're building, almost along the lines of affordable housing,” DeAngelo said. “And that's what we're out there protesting.”
DeAngelo, who is also President and Assistant Business Manager of the Union, said the workers have received a lot of support from the community.
“We ask people to shop local and buy local law, well, I'm asking them to add a third part - builds local,” DeAngelo said.
“Our job here is not done. Maybe we can get the developer to have a change of heart if not we hope the existing employees get more money, that's a positive in itself.”
It's not clear how long the workers plan to protest, but they plan to be on-site for some time.
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