NYs broadband funding could be boon for jobs, if its done right (Guest Opinion by Dennis Trainor) [Video]

Dennis Trainor, of Holbrook, New York, is District 1 vice president of the Communications Workers of America union.

My union, the Communications Workers of America (CWA), has already helped attach critical labor protections to New York’s broadband funding that will incentivize high-road employers. We know from experience that some companies try to cut costs by hiring out-of-state, low-road contractors who compromise quality and safety for speed. We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to deploy broadband to every New Yorker, and we must build it right the first time.

When ISPs who will be bidding for New York broadband deployment projects come ready to collaborate with local union workers, it is a win-win for everyone. Just last year, CWA District 1 worked hand-in-hand with Verizon to develop its proposal to expand broadband in Onondaga County. Verizon will utilize its highly skilled union workforce to safely and efficiently deploy fiber-optic broadband service to an estimated 1,500 customers along 214 miles of roads where broadband is currently unavailable, and create over 30 …