CVS contractor to be replaced

By G. Jeffrey Aaron
December 10, 2009, 11:10 pm


Two New York state electrical contractors want to replace a Tennessee contractor thrown off the $88 million CVS warehouse project last month after undocumented foreign workers were discovered on the job.

Matco Electric Co. Inc. of Vestal and Radec Corp. from Rochester have each submitted a bid to CVS/pharmacy of Woonsocket, R.I., to replace Walker Electric of Nashville.

A decision is expected from CVS by Dec. 20, county officials said Thursday at a meeting of the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency.

County and union officials want Matco to get the job. Matco is a union contractor, said Ernie Hartman, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 139, and would be required to use local electrical workers union members.

Matco has already provided electricians on the site to pick up where Walker left off and to assess the scope of the project to help in the preparation of the company's bid, Hartman said.

Radec is based in Monroe County where the IDA requires that IDA-assisted projects use construction workers from that county.

"They don't want our workers up there, so we don't want them to come here for work," said Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Hartman commended the Chemung County Sheriff's Office for investigating union complaints of Walker's use of undocumented Mexican workers and making the arrests.

Last month, seven undocumented Mexicans were arrested as they left the White Wagon Road project site and charged with immigration administrative violations. The arrests led to CVS firing Walker Electric, which put the electrical portion of the project behind schedule.

"Gray (the general contractor for the project) did reach out to (Matco) to get the work going again and they will use a local work force," said Hartman.

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