President's Message

Summer is here, and glass is gleaming! Soon enough, it’ll be time for the Window & Plate Glass Dealers Association’s Annual Convention. Thank you to all our members and partners that attended and helped to coordinate our first successful convention in Boca Raton, Florida last year. Our association exists to promote the glazing industry in the Greater New York region. Anyone who attended our first convention will tell you that we’re accomplishing that mission. The time we spent with our union partners, the Finishing Contractors Association (FCA) and the Architectural Glass Institute (AGI), was invaluable. It was the first time our members had an extended opportunity to network and mingle with our union representatives and develop real relationships. Association contractors and union representatives alike were able to share and discuss a variety of industry challenges. These conversations generated ideas and solutions to help strengthen our industry. At our business meeting, union representatives presented their industry plans for the next decade. FCA and AGI developed impressive programs that we hope to adopt as we work towards improving the glazing industry in the Greater New York region. This includes working in conjunction with Local 1087 to make our training center and Association contractors a reliable resource for architects and end users. The convention was also just plain wholesome fun. Friendships were made, ideas were shared, and all had an exciting time. I would like to thank the Association of Master Painters and Decorators of New York, Inc. for allowing us to have our first convention in conjunction with their 191st. I hope to see you all at our second convention on November 9th to the 12th at the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne Florida.

Sincerely,
Jerry Haber
President

Executive Director's Message

It’s an exciting time to be a part of the glass and glazing industries! Local 1087 and our association contractors have had substantial increases in hours and business. There is a strong construction market, but we must work to maintain and improve it. We understand the ongoing battle to protect and increase our market share, and will continue to leverage our relationships with industry partners and implement educational programs, certifications, and safety standards that keep us ahead of the competition. In this issue, we will be highlighting one of our member contractors, CHB Industries. Like all our member contractors, this company ensures a quality job is done right, the first time. CHB Industries is also involved in helping to make our industry the best it can be. Our association continues to make me proud because it is full of passionate and hardworking professionals who really care about the work they do. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Jed Coldon
Executive Director

A New Collective Bargaining Agreement

In April, representatives from the Glaziers Union, Local 1087, and members of the Window and Plate Glass Dealers Association met to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. The result was a new 6-year deal that will benefit both all parties, and be an asset to improving and protecting the unionized glazing industry.

Extension of the 421-a Tax Exemption Program

Similarly, towards the end of last year – and long after it expired – developers, construction workers and government offices came to an agreement to extend the previous 421-a tax exemption program. The program, now known as Affordable New York encourages developers to include affordable units in their projects and offers tax relief benefits for doing so. The agreement calls for an average hourly wage of $60 for construction workers in Manhattan $45 for workers in Queens and Brooklyn.

Building Trades Employers’ Association of New York City President, Louis J. Coletti commented recently that he’s hopeful this new agreement will help trade union contractors compete for more residential work.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo also provided a statement about the Agreement in November:

“The deal reached today between these parties provides more affordability for tenants and fairer wages for workers than under the original proposal. While I would prefer even more affordability in the 421-a program, this agreement marks a major step forward for New Yorkers. The agreement extends affordability for projects created with 421-a for an additional five years – bringing affordability for these units to 40 years. It also allows lower income individuals to qualify as it lowers the percentage of area median income needed to apply. Additionally, this agreement rightly delivers fair wages for working men and women – providing a rate of $60 per hour in Manhattan and $45 for certain projects in Brooklyn and Queens. Most importantly until this agreement is finalized, the State Legislature has refused to release $2 billion in state affordable housing funds. I urge the Legislature to come back to Albany to pass desperately needed affordable housing and to sign the MOU to release these funds. We simply cannot allow the lack of resolution to stall affordable housing production for years to come. There is no excuse not to act.”

The de Blasio administration prioritized 421-a as an integral part of its affordable housing agenda. Recently, the state budget passed including funds for the 421-a program.

Contractor Profile: CHB Industries

Started at a kitchen table in 1990 by President and CEO Carol Borow, CHB Industries is still going strong 27 years later. CHB Industries supply’s and installs films and laminates to glass and other surfaces in commercial, residential and industrial spaces. The company completes projects of all sizes and complexities – from a home skylight to a 41-story office building – and is known for being an exclusive distributor for various products.

CHB Industries is currently an exclusive distributor for SafetyShield film and an auditory espionage film. The auditory espionage film ensures that sound and other systems, like Wi-Fi connection, do not bleed outside of a physical space, while the SafetyShield film holds glass together under the most extreme conditions including earthquakes and storms with high-powered winds to mitigate damage.

CHB Industries’ robust assortment of exterior products also includes shatter resistant films; solar control films which block solar heat, prevent heat build-up, and protect fabrics and furnishings against fading; and films which protect against crime, vandalization, bomb blasts and other damage. CHB Industries produces New York City safety compliant distraction graphics, frosted films and color films for interior spaces, as well as a cloaking film designed by Designtex, which makes it impossible to view a computer monitor from outside the office space that it’s in.