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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Danny Coley, Union Member from Local 79
2:02:20
·
76 sec
Danny Coley, a union member from Local 79, shares his personal story of how joining a union transformed his life from minimum wage work to a stable career with good pay and benefits. He emphasizes the possibility and necessity of creating good jobs in affordable housing construction.
- Coley worked on a 100% affordable housing project in Brooklyn, earning $40/hour with benefits
- He contrasts this with his previous minimum wage job where he was taken advantage of due to his incarceration history
- Coley advocates for "construction justice" and argues that responsible developers can pay fair wages without sacrificing affordability
Danny Coley
2:02:20
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
2:02:22
My name is Danny Colley, and I live in the Bronx.
2:02:25
My story is proof that creating good job and affordable housing construction as possible, and as necessary.
2:02:31
After joining the union, I worked on a 100 percent affordable housing product in Brooklyn with local 79 where we got paid a just compensation package of about $40 an hour.
2:02:43
Before joining the union, I would pay minimum wage on a visit residential job by a subcontractor that took advantage of my incarceration history.
2:02:50
If felt like a dead end or a path back to prison, but my future plan after I got the job at 40 an hour.
2:02:58
My paid job from minimum wage with no benefits to a good livable wage that includes health care and retirement benefits.
2:03:05
This job gave me something I never had before.
2:03:07
Stability, the security of a paycheck I can actually live on.
2:03:12
Now I have a career, and I commit the most of my second chance, and I am proud to have helped build hundreds of new affordable apartments of New York City residents.
2:03:21
Workers like me are ready to build the housing that nearest city needs and the communities we come from.
2:03:27
Responsible developers are showing that you can pay workers just ways without sacrificing affordability.
2:03:33
Let's get to work.
2:03:34
We need construction justice.
2:03:35
Thank you.