Page 16 - The Digital Carpenter, Vol. 1 Issue 2

CARPENTERS INVOLVED IN TRANSITION EFFORTS IN NEW JERSEY AND PHILADELPHIA
The 2017 Election season saw the successful elections of a number of pro-labor, pro- strong worker right candidates, including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and City of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. As a result of the Council’s support for these pro-labor candidates, our executive sta was selected to serve on both transition teams to help both administrations getting o the ground running.
GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY
In November, Murphy announced his full list of Transition 2018 leadership, Committee members and co-chairs. Among them included the appointments of: Executive Secretary-Treasurer John Ballantyne as co-chair of the Stronger & Fairer Economy Committee; Political Director Lizette Delgado-Polanco as co- chair of the Labor & Workforce Development Committee; and President & New Jersey Regional Manager Bill Sproule as a member and proxy co-chair of the Labor & Workforce Development Committee.
Murphy told Insider NJ during the transition: “I pledged to build my administration to mirror the diversity, talent and potential of New Jersey, and my transition will be no di erent. Our co-chairs boast a rich diversity of both background and experiences, of valuable government experience and unique outside perspectives. To a person, this transition is full of incredible talent and experience and I’m thrilled to see them serve. Together, we’ll start the di cult job of building a stronger, fairer economy that works for all nine million New Jerseyans.”
Murphy’s transition committee was comprised of multiple policy experts and leaders in their respective elds and each committee had the legal counsel to reinforce their strategies. The committees met after Election Day and submitted reports to the Governor-elect and his leadership team prior to his inauguration. These reports helped to inform the Governor of issues important to industry leaders and helped to set the new administration’s legislative and regulatory agendas.
PHILADELPHIA D.A. LARRY KRASNER
After Election Day, NRCC Executive Secretary-Treasurer John Ballantyne was appointed to Philadelphia District Attorney- Elect Larry Krasner’s Transition Committee.
Prior to Election Day 2017, Krasner visited our City of Philadelphia o ces and spoke about his belief that existing labor laws and payroll fraud/worker misclassi cation need to be better enforced. We welcome that sentiment as there are various contractors throughout the City that exploit their workforce by paying workers under the table, not paying healthcare or retirement bene ts, while shirking the City and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania out of local and State tax revenue.
While Krasner put together a group of diverse endorsements – including Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity and various City Council people – no other building trade organizations in the City of Philadelphia supported his candidacy during the DA primary election.
“During the election, District Attorney Krasner talked during his primary speech of seeking justice,” said Ballantyne. “We want justice too on the job site and for the people of Philadelphia and we think Larry Krasner will deliver that as the City’s next District Attorney. We are so pleased to be involved in these transition teams as we can ensure that an elected o cials’ agendas support policies that promote strong construction wages and bene ts, fair contracting and safe working conditions.”
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