Published: June 28, 2010

SEIU 32BJ is continuing its campaign to get the Assembly to follow the Senate’s lead and pass a bill that would close a so-called loophole and extend a prevailing-wage law to apply to public utilities.

The measure, which is being sponsored in the Assembly by Queens Democrat Mike Gianaris (who is soon to depart to replace retiring Sen. George Onorato) and would increase the pay of service workers like janitors, security guards and dishwashers who work at utilities like ConEd and National Grid.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Eric Schneiderman in the Senate, passed the upper house earlier this month in a 33-28 vote. (Queens GOP Sen. Frank Padavan joined the Democrats in voting “yes”).

The union has been beating the drum on this one for some time, with a statewide radio ad campaign that launched today and a companion print ad scheduled to appear tomorrow.

National Grid responded with its own radio ad campaign that deems this measure “another New York City power play.” (Nice double entendre there).

The union is hoping the bill moves out of committee and onto the floor Wednesday, but a lot depends on where the budget battle stands at that moment.