Coffee Boy Scheme still going

[Bklyn21]

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Union accused of tricking developer into paying ‘Coffee Boys’ $42 an hour
By Michael Gartland and Bruce Golding March 5, 2018 | 10:40pm | Updated

Christopher Sadowski
Manhattan’s largest development company says it was snookered into paying union workers $42 an hour — and a lot more for overtime — just to deliver coffee at its Hudson Yards megaproject.

The “Coffee Boys” were part of what Related Cos. calls a widespread scheme of “misconduct” by unions that inflated construction costs at the gleaming new mini-city by more than $100 million.

While the job of coffee boy is usually filled by “the junior-most worker in a unit,” the Concrete Workers District Council assigned that role to two full-fledged union members, according to a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit filed Monday by Related subsidiary Hudson Yards Construction LLC.

One of the workers — identified as “Coffee Boy #1” — also happens to be “the 55-year-old brother of a high-ranking union official,” the suit says.

Adding insult to injury, the Concrete Workers’ coffee boys — who are paid $42.48 an hour, plus $27.39 worth of benefits — actually charge their colleagues for beverages and food, meaning that “although categorized as employees, they are actually vendors,” according to the suit.

“In the month of February 2015 alone, for the privilege of selling coffee and snacks at the Project, Coffee Boy #1 was compensated for 155 hours work, of which 45 hours were classified as overtime payable at time and a half or $69.87 per hour including benefits,” the lawsuit charges.

Time and a half on $42.48 an hour is $63.72, and it’s unclear why that amount isn’t reflected in the overtime calculation.

The alleged coffee boy scheme was cited in the lawsuit against the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, an umbrella group for the unions, and its president, Gary LaBarbera.

Court papers accuse the Council and LaBarbera of “condoning, if not actively participating in, various corrupt practices” at Hudson Yards that violate a labor agreement they championed on behalf of 35 unions working at the site.

Other allegations in the lawsuit include widespread time-sheet fraud through which one construction worker raked in more than $600,000 in annual wages and benefits. The unidentified hardhat allegedly claimed to have worked 12 hours a day and seven days a week for an entire year.

Other workers typically inflate their hours by 10 to 20 percent, court papers claim.

The suit doesn’t seek damages for the alleged corruption, but says it justified Hudson Yards Construction in declaring that the office tower at 50 Hudson Yards would be a “merit shop” project for which contracts would be awarded “irrespective of whether the bidder used union or non-union workers.”

The suit accuses the council and LaBarbera of “tortious interference with prospective economic advantage” involving that project on grounds that they’ve encouraged some unions to not work at the site.

Hudson Yards Construction is seeking at least $75 million in damages on that claim, along with at least $200,000 from LaBarbera for allegedly defaming the company.

The suit alleges that LaBarbera was behind fliers that call Hudson Yards Construction “union busters” and also cites remarks he made during a Nov. 14 protest rally where he told workers the company wants to “use you up and throw you to the side.”

A spokesperson for the BCTC said, “We have not seen the lawsuit so we cannot comment. This is likely a retaliatory response to a movement in New York City, known as #CountMeIn, protesting open shop and non-union development.”​​

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

This could have been posted in the recent thread titled:
How Cosa Nostra is making money in 2018 LOL

Here's where they made $100 million (that LE knows about)
"inflated construction costs at the gleaming new mini-city by more than $100 million."

[BillyBrizzi]

Adding insult to injury, the Concrete Workers’ coffee boys — who are paid $42.48 an hour, plus $27.39 worth of benefits — actually charge their colleagues for beverages and food, meaning that “although categorized as employees, they are actually vendors,” according to the suit.

The greed of these guys is unbelievable, if they would've toned it down a bit maybe the company would've tolerated more but everything has a limit and these guys definitely went over it..

[gohnjotti]

For those who don't know, since it wasn't mentioned in the article, this has always been a Colombo racket. Ralph Scopo Jr. headed the Concrete & Cement Workers' Union until his 2011 arrest and his 2013 death, and pulled this exact stunt with coffee boys. Wonder who is running that racket now since the Scopos had ran it for the 20+ years.

[baldo]

These numbers are staggering. They mentioned a construction worker who pulled in more than $600K. That's more than many bankers/doctors make.

[Wiseguy]

These numbers are staggering. They mentioned a construction worker who pulled in more than $600K. That's more than many bankers/doctors make.

And it's that very thing that makes sweetheart deals with the mob so attractive for some contractors. Make a payoff and/or provide some no-show jobs and they save a ton of money and increase their profit margin since they are allowed to hire non-union workers at a fraction of the cost and not contribute to union pension and healthcare funds.

[jimmy_beans8]

Put me in coach

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

These numbers are staggering. They mentioned a construction worker who pulled in more than $600K. That's more than many bankers/doctors make.

And it's that very thing that makes sweetheart deals with the mob so attractive for some contractors. Make a payoff and/or provide some no-show jobs and they save a ton of money and increase their profit margin since they are allowed to hire non-union workers at a fraction of the cost and not contribute to union pension and healthcare funds.

Exactly, this shows that the Colombo's still have ways to make big $ even though they have been reduced in size of late.
Also shows why the NYC families will continue on. These rackets are so deeply entrenched, seems they will always be
there for them.

[beans]

These numbers are staggering. They mentioned a construction worker who pulled in more than $600K. That's more than many bankers/doctors make.

And it's that very thing that makes sweetheart deals with the mob so attractive for some contractors. Make a payoff and/or provide some no-show jobs and they save a ton of money and increase their profit margin since they are allowed to hire non-union workers at a fraction of the cost and not contribute to union pension and healthcare funds.

Exactly, this shows that the Colombo's still have ways to make big $ even though they have been reduced in size of late.
Also shows why the NYC families will continue on. These rackets are so deeply entrenched, seems they will always be
there for them.

this was a Colombo scheme the article is referring to?

[Wiseguy]

These numbers are staggering. They mentioned a construction worker who pulled in more than $600K. That's more than many bankers/doctors make.

And it's that very thing that makes sweetheart deals with the mob so attractive for some contractors. Make a payoff and/or provide some no-show jobs and they save a ton of money and increase their profit margin since they are allowed to hire non-union workers at a fraction of the cost and not contribute to union pension and healthcare funds.

Exactly, this shows that the Colombo's still have ways to make big $ even though they have been reduced in size of late.
Also shows why the NYC families will continue on. These rackets are so deeply entrenched, seems they will always be
there for them.

this was a Colombo scheme the article is referring to?

A coffee boy-related scheme was part of the big Colombo indictment in 2011 and facilitated through their control of the Concrete Workers Union. You can read about it at the article below.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.nydailyn ... e-1.148256

Even though Scopo was removed, and it remains to be seen the level of ongoing mob control of the union, that doesn't necessarily mean all the shenanigans have stopped.

[gohnjotti]

These numbers are staggering. They mentioned a construction worker who pulled in more than $600K. That's more than many bankers/doctors make.

And it's that very thing that makes sweetheart deals with the mob so attractive for some contractors. Make a payoff and/or provide some no-show jobs and they save a ton of money and increase their profit margin since they are allowed to hire non-union workers at a fraction of the cost and not contribute to union pension and healthcare funds.

Exactly, this shows that the Colombo's still have ways to make big $ even though they have been reduced in size of late.
Also shows why the NYC families will continue on. These rackets are so deeply entrenched, seems they will always be
there for them.

this was a Colombo scheme the article is referring to?

A coffee boy-related scheme was part of the big Colombo indictment in 2011 and facilitated through their control of the Concrete Workers Union. You can read about it at the article below.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.nydailyn ... e-1.148256

Even though Scopo was removed, and it remains to be seen the level of ongoing mob control of the union, that doesn't necessarily mean all the shenanigans have stopped.

Yeah, the 2011 bust in no way cleaned up the union. Only Ralph Scopo Jr. was busted (as well as Ren Maragni), not the dozens of other potential mob guys and associates involved.

[AlexfromSouth]

Don't understand how tha Scopo fam works. Is Ralph Scopo sr the one that has two sons? One Joseph b. 1946 and one Ralph jr b. 1949? Can someone elaborate please. Thanks

[bronx]

yes

[beans]

These numbers are staggering. They mentioned a construction worker who pulled in more than $600K. That's more than many bankers/doctors make.

And it's that very thing that makes sweetheart deals with the mob so attractive for some contractors. Make a payoff and/or provide some no-show jobs and they save a ton of money and increase their profit margin since they are allowed to hire non-union workers at a fraction of the cost and not contribute to union pension and healthcare funds.

Exactly, this shows that the Colombo's still have ways to make big $ even though they have been reduced in size of late.
Also shows why the NYC families will continue on. These rackets are so deeply entrenched, seems they will always be
there for them.

this was a Colombo scheme the article is referring to?

A coffee boy-related scheme was part of the big Colombo indictment in 2011 and facilitated through their control of the Concrete Workers Union. You can read about it at the article below.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.nydailyn ... e-1.148256

Even though Scopo was removed, and it remains to be seen the level of ongoing mob control of the union, that doesn't necessarily mean all the shenanigans have stopped.

Thank you, sir. my question I guess is the bust this topic was started about - was it lcn related?

[gohnjotti]

Don't understand how tha Scopo fam works. Is Ralph Scopo sr the one that has two sons? One Joseph b. 1946 and one Ralph jr b. 1949? Can someone elaborate please. Thanks

Yes, that's the Scopo fam. Ralph Sr. was convicted with Carmine Persico in 86, his son Joseph was the Orena faction underboss, and Ralph Scopo Jr. maintained control of the concrete unions. He died in 2013 and avoided trial in the big 2011 bust. The coffee-boy scheme here mirrored the one that he was involved in, and I think it's the same union.