Carpenters Union Protests Esmark Building Contractor

An ongoing labor dispute between a Pennsylvania carpenters union and a Gibsonia-based construction company has spilled over to .

Demonstrators representing the Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council of Carpenters held a large banner Thursday outside the Esmark Inc. offices on Broad Street speaking out against Esmark's hiring of A.W. McCay Contracting to build the new three-story .

Union members claim A.W. McCay, the general contractor on the building project, has failed to pay area standard wages when it comes to health care and pension benefits.

"The Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council of Carpenters believes that Esmark, Inc. has an obligation to the community to see that area labor standards are met for construction work at all their projects, including any future work," a statement from the union said. "They should not be allowed to insulate themselves behind 'independent' contractors. For this reason the Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council of Carpenters has a labor dispute with all the companies identified here."

A.W. McCay couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Esmark, Inc. and James P. Bouchard, chairman and chief executive officer, took exception to the allegations, responding today with the following statement:

"First and foremost, Esmark, Inc. has nothing to do with this dispute between the Regional Carpenter’s Council and A.W. McCay Contracting, a dispute that has been going on for decades."

"Esmark has always enjoyed a strong working relationship with organized labor, from our longstanding partnership with the United Steelworkers of America, whose members work in our steel service centers across the Midwest, to the union tradesmen and craft workers currently being employed in building the project in Edgeworth. In fact, members of various craft unions, including iron workers, foundation-drillers and tile-setters, will be working at the construction site. If you examine our track record with organized labor, you’ll see that we have consistently employed and supported the hard-working men and women working in our facilities with excellent wages and benefits."

“This dispute stems from an ongoing disagreement between A.W. McCay Contracting, the construction manager on the building, and the Regional Council of Carpenters. Despite the Council’s inaccurate protestations to the contrary, there is no direct or indirect dispute involving Esmark, Inc.  

“We take great exception to the absurd allegations made by the Regional Council of Carpenters that we are somehow contributing to the erosion of area standards for carpenter craft workers. Quite the contrary is true. Esmark fully supports organized labor if those unions meet the specified performance standards and submit good-faith bids for our construction projects. The Regional Council of Carpenters should be focusing on those two requirements and repairing its reputation and relationship with A.W. McCay, rather than attacking Esmark’s good name and reputation in the community.”