Local contractors and private industry
companies, labor leaders and organized
laborers have joined together to create
a new coalition:
Our coalition focuses on ensuring that the greater Rochester community has a unified voice when it comes to asking New York State to invest more resources for improvements to infrastructure of critical public projects in the Rochester area.
The coalition acknowledges that while the local economy has undergone significant changes, particularly against the backdrop of national economic challenges, Rochester still has many unique characteristics and strengths that have provided a good deal of insulation from the major swings that other communities around the state and nation have suffered.
There is evidence across Upstate New York that smart, public investment can greatly stimulate private sector activity. Unfortunately, Rochester only sees a return of eighty cents for every dollar the community sends to the State. In comparison, Syracuse receives one dollar and thirty cents for every dollar they send to the State.
Please fill out this form to let your state representaties know that you support the Building a Better Rochester coalition.
"A group of local contractors and labor leaders have joined together to a new coalition called Building a Better Rochester. The coalition is aimed at ensuring Rochester secures its fair share of public investment from the state for critical public building projects. Members of Building a Better Rochester said the funding is necessary to help stimulate new, local economic and job growth." - Rochester Business Journal. December 15, 2011
"Gov. Andrew Cuomo had barely finished announcing his plans to invest $1 billion into turning Buffalo around when a coalition from neighboring Rochester worried its city would be left out in the cold." - Associated Press, January 5, 2012
"We aren't bad enough, so we get left out," said Aaron Hilger, president of Builder Exchange of Rochester. - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, January 8, 2012
"The Builder's Exchange and our union partners in the building trades have all come to realize that we have to do things differently if we expect to Build a Better Rochester. This means breaking down barriers and creating alliances among groups that may have historically had different agendas. We all agree on one thing - Rochester needs to have one unified message to assist our political leaders to compete against other cities and regions."
"For years, Rochester has been forgotten in comparison to other Upstate New York cities. This collective effort will ensure that the construction industry speaks with one unified voice when it comes to working for a fair share of state funding for these critical public projects. Working together with our legislative representatives and state leaders, we aim to bring more construction related jobs to the Rochester area."
"This is an exciting time for our trade unions. Rochester should be funded at the same level as Buffalo and Syracuse. By working together we stimulate new economic activity and create local jobs and opportunities. I look forward to putting the tremendous resources of the building trades unions to work collaboratively to get Rochester the state resources we deserve."
