Published: July 7, 2010

A controversial bill sponsored by Assemblymember Michael Gianaris (D–Astoria) requiring the state’s public utilities, including Con Edison, to pay the prevailing wage to their workers, has passed both houses of the state legislature.

There’s speculation that Governor David Paterson might veto the bill because of its reportedly high cost, somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 million a year. The governor reportedly wants to spare businesses the expense.

However, Gianaris argued that major utilities have been taking advantage of workers by paying them the minimum wage for years. Workers deserve better than that, Gianaris argued.

“They have been cheating these workers for far too long,” Gianaris told reporters after the bill passed the Assembly last week. “These workers are suffering and this bill would remedy that.”

The bill was strongly supported by service unions 32 BJ and SEIU 200, but the utilities had equally strong support from Republicans in opposing the measure. It’s in the governor’s hands now.