Suffolk Dumps Union Contractor for GOP Appointee's Company

Union leaders and Democratic officials are demanding answers after Suffolk County abruptly terminated a nearly two-decade contract with a union construction firm in favor of a company owned by a Republican appointee to county government.

The Suffolk County Department of Public Works ended its longstanding relationship with Austin Drywall Corp., a Bohemia-based contractor, 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 County Executive Ed Romaine.

Democratic Suffolk Legislator Greg Doroski joined union workers outside the county Public Works building in Yaphank on Friday to protest the decision. “[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,” Doroski told reporters.

Union officials called the contract switch political favoritism and pointed to what they say are violations of Suffolk County’s own labor laws. They claim VanDenburg’s company is ineligible for the work because it does not participate in state-registered apprenticeship programs as required by Suffolk’s Apprenticeship Law for public projects exceeding $250,000.

“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 apprenticeship requirement is designed to train local workers while saving taxpayers money, since apprentices can legally earn less while learning trades. Union leaders also raised concerns about prevailing wage compliance, questioning whether the new contractor’s bid properly accounts for state-mandated minimum pay scales for public work.

Campaign finance records show VanDenburg has made frequent donations to Republican committees in Suffolk County, adding fuel to conflict-of-interest allegations from Democratic officials and union representatives.

The terminated contract with Austin Drywall was described as a massive “on-call” arrangement worth millions of dollars that allowed the county to quickly deploy union workers for various repair projects throughout Suffolk.

“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 firmly rejected accusations of wrongdoing or political interference in the bidding process. Charles Bartha, commissioner of the Suffolk Department of Public Works, defended the decision as following proper legal procedures.

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

However, county officials did not explain why they terminated Austin Drywall’s contract despite previous public praise for the contractor’s performance. The dollar amount of the new contract has not been publicly disclosed.

Republican sources familiar with the bidding process dismissed the criticism as partisan politics, though union leaders and Democrats are calling for the county’s GOP-led administration to reverse course on what they characterize as preferential treatment for a politically connected firm.

The controversy highlights ongoing tensions over labor practices and government contracting in Suffolk County, where union jobs have traditionally provided middle-class employment for Long Island families.