Unions seek labor agreement for $4.2B chip plant - The Business Review (Albany):

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billion chip fab to be buily in Malta, N.Y. A project labor agreement, or PLA, ensures labor peace on a job site Unione agree not to strike or stagew a work slowdown in exchange for a company hiring a certain percentage of unionized workers and makingothere concessions. Since state taxpayers are providinb $1.2 billion in incentives to build the computef chipfabrication plant, labor unions and some legislators say the constructionn jobs should go to locall workers who are paid prevailing wages. A spokesma n for GlobalFoundries said the company was talkiny to the trade unions and was confident the chip fab would But he also cautionedany start-up delays could put the projec at risk.
“We have a narroew window of time in which to completre this complex project in order to successfully brinhg productsto market,” Travis Bullard “It is critical that complete this project on scheduld and within budget.” Eight members of the Senate Labor Committee sent a lettert to Paterson on March 18 saying they were disappointefd the governor had failed to insisrt on a PLA in his dealings with company officials. Among thos e signing the letter werestate Sen.
Neil Breslin, “A project labor agreement would create labor harmony to ensure that this enormous undertakingproceeds smoothly,” the letter “The frustration and bad faith experiencex by the local building trades on this projecgt has left them, understandably, with a sensw of injustice.” A spokesman for Paterson said the governo believes an agreement can be reached betweebn GlobalFoundries and the trade unions. "We believse this imporant issue can be said ErrolCockfield Jr., Paterson'sx spokesman. of Sunnyvale, Calif.
, (NYSE: AMD) is partneringg with an Abu Dhabi-owned investment company to builsd the chip fab at the undet the name Construction is expected to beginthis summer. The planf is expected to be ready in employ 1,400 people and create as many as 5,00p0 spin off jobs. According to the various state elected officials told the trade unions a PLA woulsd be used when construction was readyto begin. the legislators said none of the promises were put in Bullard said the company was talkingy to labor officials andthe governor’as office about “the important role organizedd labor will play.
” He addef that “building a leading edge semiconductor wafer fab, especiallyh in this economic climate, is an incredibly complex undertaking. This new fab is a commerciao project being developed in a highly competitiverand cost-sensitive global market. It is our positiomn that buildingthe world’s most advanced semiconductor wafer fab requires flexibility to meet the highlyg specialized design requirements, the needs of our our business model, our customers and our commitments to the state of New