About

OUR HISTORY

The Mason Tenders’ District Council Political Action Committee (PAC) was formed on January 20, 1998. Construction may be the most highly regulated and among the most competitive industries in the New York metropolitan area. In order for us to keep our members working in good, safe, well-paying jobs, becoming involved in the political arena was an absolute necessity. In the ensuing years, your PAC has influenced government to approve literally tens of billions of dollars worth of unionized construction work throughout New York City and Long Island. During the same time, your PAC has either conceived of, drafted or helped pass multiple pieces of legislation in New York City and New York State to benefit you, the members. These include the Scaffold Erectors law; statewide Mold Remediation Standards; the HPD Transparency Act, which forced the City to disclose information on why they award projects to non-union bidders; a Master Environmental Remediation Technicians Registry; a law to make Private Sanitation Trucks safer; and others. Currently we are working on Carlos’ Law, which will greatly increase penalties against contractors who seriously injure or kill workers; and the Workplace Fatality Registry, which would require the authorities to report any workplace fatality to the NYS Department of Labor. We wrote this last bill because construction is the most deadly large industry in New York (one construction worker is killed at work every 5 to 6 days on average in NYS), and we need the data to pass laws that will protect our members.

OUR BOARD

MIKE HELLSTROM, JR. - PAC Chairman, Business Manager of the Mason Tenders’ District Council of Greater New York

MIKE PROHASKA - PAC Treasurer, Business Manager of Construction & General Building Laborers’ Local 79

JOEL BURGOS - Secretary-Treasurer of Asbestos, Lead & Hazardous Waste Laborers’ Local 78

STEVE FLANAGAN - Business Manager of General Building Laborers’ Local 66

PAWEL GRUCHACZ - Business Manager of Asbestos, Lead & Hazardous Waste Laborers’ Local 78

JOHN NORBURY - Vice President of Construction & General Building Laborers’ Local 79

CHAZ RYNKIEWICZ - Director of Organizing, Construction & General Building Laborers’ Local 79

BARRIE SMITH - Business Agent, Construction & General Building Laborers’ Local 79

OUR STAFF

MIKE McGUIRE - Director

KRIS KOHLER - Assistant Director

JOSH SLAUGHTER - Long Island Political Coordinator

ARI ESPINAL - New York City Political Coordinator