Suffolk Contract Controversy Sparks Union, Democratic Outcry

Union leaders and Democratic officials gathered outside Suffolk County’s Public Works building in Yaphank Friday to protest the county’s decision to terminate a nearly two-decade contract with a unionized construction company in favor of a contractor with political ties.

The Suffolk County Department of Public Works ended its longstanding agreement with Austin Drywall Corp., based in Bohemia, last month and moved to award the work to Renu Contracting & Restoration. The new contractor is owned by Michael VanDenburg, who was appointed to the county Planning Commission last year by Republican Suffolk Executive Ed Romaine.

“Austin Drywall Corp. was praised by the County Executive, praised by Majority Leader Nick Caracappa, and had a good record — there are questions that must be answered,” Democratic Suffolk Legislator Greg Doroski told reporters surrounded by union workers.

Union leaders and Democratic officials called the arrangement a conflict of interest, pointing to VanDenburg’s government position and his history of donations to Republican committees in Suffolk County, according to campaign finance records. They demanded the GOP-led county administration reverse the decision immediately.

Labor officials also raised concerns about potential violations of Suffolk County’s Apprenticeship Law, which requires contractors on public projects exceeding $250,000 to participate in state-registered apprenticeship programs. These programs train local workers and can reduce costs for taxpayers since apprentices earn lower wages while learning their trades.

“The county appears to have waived that law,” said union labor leader Vincent Alu. “If we are a nation of laws, those who enforce the law must follow the law, and the county must explain how and why it may have violated its own law.”

The contract change also raised questions about prevailing wage compliance. State law requires contractors on public projects to pay workers minimum wages designed to prevent companies from undercutting local pay standards.

Union officials described the Austin Drywall agreement as a multi-million dollar “on-call” contract that allowed the county to quickly deploy union workers for repairs. They accused county officials of giving Renu preferential treatment by accepting a bid they believe fell below prevailing wage requirements while applying labor standards inconsistently.

“At a time where we are seeing record numbers of people at food pantries, we don’t want to see our local men and women not in work, we want to see local work done with local people,” said Democratic Suffolk Legislator Jason Richberg.

County officials strongly denied any wrongdoing and rejected claims they bypassed legal requirements or made politically motivated decisions. However, they did not explain why they terminated Austin Drywall Corp.’s contract despite previously praising the contractor’s performance.

“This contract was put out to bid in accordance with the provisions of New York State and Suffolk County law,” said Charles Bartha, commissioner of the Suffolk Department of Public Works. “The bids were carefully scrutinized, and the contract was awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, as the law requires.”

Bartha emphasized that the decision “should not be construed as a negative as to the quality of any other bidder.”

Republican sources familiar with the bidding process dismissed the criticism as politically motivated, calling the outrage “all politics.”

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between Suffolk County’s Republican leadership and Democratic opposition over government contracting practices and labor relations. The dispute comes as Long Island continues to grapple with economic challenges affecting working families across Nassau and Suffolk counties.