New York, New York – On December 13, New York City Council Member Shekar Krishnan sent a letter to the Commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation urging her to allow labor unions to object to contracts awarded by her agency. The letter cited an egregious case where Laborers’ Local 1010 was denied the ability to object to millions in awards to Dragonetti Brothers Landscaping, despite this contractor’s conviction on multiple counts of insurance fraud in October 2022. Ten other members of the City Council’s Committee on Parks and Recreation signed onto the letter in addition to Council Member Krishnan, the Committee’s Chair.

“New Yorkers trust city agencies to be responsible stewards of public resources,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Chair of the Committee on Parks and Recreation. “Preventing labor unions and other members of the public from objecting to city awards to unscrupulous contractors undermines that trust. We can’t build more parks, plant more trees, or help our communities thrive unless we do so with full transparency and accountability. NYC Parks must allow unions to object to bad contracts.”

“Laborers Local 1010 applauds Chair Krishnan and members of the City Council Committee on Parks for their leadership in calling for greater accountability and public oversight in the procurement process,” said Lowell Barton, Vice President of Laborers’ Local 1010. “These changes will be critical to promoting greater efficiency, preventing misconduct and fraud, while also advancing career-track jobs and on time and on budget parks projects.”