STOP THE SWEATSHOP SKYSCRAPER!
Demand Extell Drop Abusive Contractor Now!
What’s happening here?
EXTELL DEVELOPMENT hired a non-union contractor who has a history of skirting around basic labor laws and endangering its workers! We must inform local policymakers that Torch Tower is at risk of being built using a substandard contractor (essentially a construction sweatshop). RNC Industries is notorious for prioritizing profits over the livelihoods of the hardworking men and women who help build our city.
Meet The contractor:
RNC Industries
Unsafe Sites – Multiple OSHA violations and even a worker death.
Wage Theft – Millions in lawsuits and unpaid union benefits.
Criminal Ties – RNC’s owner, Richard Tonyes, has twice pleaded guilty to felonies directly related to work in the construction industry.
Tonyes was released in 2015 from an 11 month sentence for felony tax evasion. In addition, RNC has paid millions of dollars to settle civil cases alleging the company cheated union benefit funds.
In 2014, workers filed a lawsuit against RNC for failing to pay overtime. RNC settled in 2018, agreeing to pay 10 workers $210,000.
Most recently, in 2021, a group of employees filed a lawsuit alleging they were cheated out of overtime- the case is pending.
About Our Coalition
We represent the thousands of union laborers who are being threatened by this unfortunate shift in the construction industry. Many companies that bid on this work care nothing for the local workforce and local economy.
Why Should You Care?
When companies choose a contractor like RNC Industries, it creates a domino effect in the industry, a race to the bottom. Too often, companies like this will leave the local economy in the dust and slight the local workforce!
What can you do?
By signing the petition below and sharing this story on social media, you are standing with every working-class member of the New York State construction industry who has had enough! It’s time to tell these companies they cannot do whatever they want without consulting their local workers first!
