End of a state authority leads to layoffs, labor boycott of state fair

All candidates for statewide office in Albany promise (or threaten) reform to state agencies and authorities, and the labor situation at the New York State Fair is a preview of what happens when the state dismantles administrative structures dating back to the Great Depression.

Last year, the Legislature dissolved the Industrial Exhibit Authority, set up to handle federal money provided in the New Deal era to build and improve buildings at the State Fairgrounds in Geddes. At the time, state representatives made incorrect predictions about the effect that dissolving the IEA might have on the Fair’s employees. According to the Syracuse Post-Standard:

A spokesperson for the state agriculture department said at the time that there would be no layoffs and the public would not notice a difference in the fair’s entertainment and exhibits.

The State Fair laid off 20 year-round workers back in May, and the Syracuse Post-Standard reports that instead of hiring union workers for seasonal jobs, the fair is hiring directly for less pay. Workers represented by the Plumbers and Steamfitters union earned about $47 per hour (including benefits) at the fair. The state is looking to hire people to perform the same work, and other skilled trades, for $17.78/hour this year.

Traditionally, Labor Day is the last day of the fair, and the Greater Syracuse Labor Council holds a parade. They’ve asked members to boycott the fair and the parade.

Boycotting the state fair is a big deal to people near Syracuse. It’s a bleak, unimaginable, Gianelli-less end to the summer and clearly a last resort. (I’m not entirely kidding.)

NY State Fair terminates union workers; thousands threaten boycott [Syracuse Post-Standard]

41 thoughts on “End of a state authority leads to layoffs, labor boycott of state fair

  1. XDOH

    Well, what are the jobs and what are the union workers skills? Is it a requirement to be in union to get job? Is it necessary to be in union?
    Just some questions.

  2. Common Sense

    Paying a plumber $47 an hour plau benefits exceeds $100,000.00 a year in salary and benefits. I can understand the need to pay this kind of wage when you have a complex issue for the plumber to work on, but if your main function is just sitting around waiting for a sink or toilet to get clogged and then unstopping it the $47 an hour is just to much.

  3. Goose and gander

    Now, lemme get this straight…we’re supposed to fire all the consultants working for NYS and replace them with state workers to save oodles of money. But when we try to hire cheaper, non-union seasonal workers at the State Fair saving oodles of money, that’s bad?

    Folks, you can’t have it both ways.

  4. Don Murphy

    It’s hard to comment on Ms.Northrup”s article when it is incomplete (or has been edited)but I’d like to know what happened to the members of the dismantled commissions.
    I attended the forth of July concert and the people picking up the trash were driving their vehicles into the crowd at the end while the people exited instead of waiting till they left to clean up.If this is an example of the benefit of cheaper labor then it will be a calamity come Fair time

    PS autodon50@gmail.com is my correct E-Mail address

  5. Milli Vanilli Groupie

    Hmmm….so we can hire the same amount of people to do the same work for nearly 1/3 of the price? That is such an easy decision, its ridiculous. It will be really sad if those parents deny their own kids a family tradition over flawed politics. The union endorsement is a kiss of death now anyway, so there won’t be much sympathy.

    Why drag the kids into it? The fair is supposed to be all about them having fun and making lifelong memories. This shows us yet again that the union leaders don’t mind using them as pawns while refusing to concede there is even a problem. Boycotting it takes money out of the local economy and further hurts the “working families” that they themselves swear are the backbone of America and they exist to represent. What they really show with immature actions like this, is that if the union can’t have it, nobody can and they will go out of their way to harm their own kin.

    Let the mindless robots sit home like their leaders say if they really are that trained to bark on command. We’ll have a great time without them. I can take comfort knowing many will have more common sense and take their little one on the bumper cars after they eat what they think is the biggest ice cream cone on earth.

    Those who get life will get much more satisfaction having their child smile at them and say thanks for a great day rather than hearing somebody complain about their job. Make no mistake, the kids will remember these things forever when they grow up and will seek to relive it with their own children.

    Despite the best efforts of the union to hurt their own community, this American tradition will be back next year too. I’d like to invite them off their pedestal to come down and have a fun time with their brothers and sisters. Forget about the politics.

  6. Donna H

    Common Sense, please show some. Regular maintenance workers take care of clogs, not plumbers. You know, those jack of all trades that fix anything that goes wrong until it’s beyond their skill set and then they call in the plumbers who are, you know, like paid for their extra knowledge and skill.

    Or maybe Milli, they care about their children’s future more than they care about a one day outing but, hey, given that you proudly proclaim to like fake music over the real thing… well, enough said…

    Thing is unions don’t need to do this. This seems like an invitation to trouble. Instead of paying for the skill the union plumbers possess, they’re going to hire those willing to work that kind of thing for $17.78 an hour!!! Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen to me since anyone willing to work that kind of thing for less money than I make on a seasonal basis, well, ain’t gonna be the someone with the impressive resume, work experience and good skill set.

  7. Nassau Nell

    But then where will I get my corndogs and jelly apples, and see obese people in stretch pants ?

    Seriously: will this mean a boycott of politicians from the Fair?

  8. FedUp (the real one)

    Stop comparing this to state workers vs consultants. This is apples and oranges.

    First of all, there is no reason why the State Fair – which isn’t even SEASONAL – it’s 2 WEEKS out of a year – needs to have any full time year round employees. That is a ridiculous waste. If they wanted to hire seasonal workers, union or otherwise, then that is much better.

    The issue with consultants vs state workers is different. These are full time, year-round jobs, where the consultants sit side by side with the state employees, doing the same exact work, but being paid 2-3 times more (even including benefits).

    According to the politicians who have been proven to have financial interests in these consultants or their companies, this saves the taxpayers money because “the consultants can be fired at any time”. Theoretically they can, but since they are politically connected, this never happens. Even in the face of gross incompetence. Many of the consultants being paid almost $200,000 a year, do not even meet the minimum requirements to take a civil service exam to get the job that a state employee would get paid $55,000 a year for.

    For example, at my agency we have a highly paid “Network Engineer” consultant being paid $180,000 a year with no college degree, even an associates. Only 2 years of attending college with no indication the person even passed their classes, just that they “attended”. This is from the person’s own resume!

  9. Mohammad Waheed

    I don’t support unions, I never want to be part of one. To me, it is group of low educated workers sticking together so they all get share of the pie, and if one gets smaller share, all have to cause problem for everyone. I agree with the “Common Sense”, $47 is bit too much for some guy who happened to be in a union workforce. Lets find someone who is willing to take $25 or $30. After all, competition is always good.

    Just my two cents.

  10. Awesome

    I would love to know what people do when it comes to their own finances. Oh, wait a minute, we’re in a recession because the housing bubble burst and people were getting more house than they could pay for! We cannot continue to run this state on credit that we can’t pay unless politicians raise taxes to offset the costs. Go ahead, hire the cheaper workers! There are tons of jobless folks out there that would love to work!

  11. John

    @ FedUp(the real one)

    You are incorrect that the fair should not have full-time employees. Yes, the New York State Fair itsself is only two weeks long, however, there are events at the fair grounds year round. RV shows, horse shows, car shows, banquets, etc, etc. Full-time staff is necessary since this iss a year round operation.

  12. Lenny Barlow


    Do you have any idea what it takes to plan a State Fair? Do you think a couple of PTA moms just get together and make a few phonecalls? “Hey, Marge, you call the corndog guy and I’ll give the ferris-wheel guy a jungle”.

    The State Fair requires land, insurance, accountants…a whole army of people.

  13. FedUp (The real one)

    @John – Thanks for that information. I didn’t realize that other events were held there as I live in the Eastern part of NY and have not heard them publicized here. Do the other events coming in pay to use the fair grounds? I would imagine that they do, perhaps the fee should be raised to cover the cost of staff and preparations for the event.

    @Lenny Barlow – I realize that there is some planning involved, but it doens’t justify the number of year round, full-time staff.

    Once upon a time I was very active in 4-H and went to the state fair every year for competitions. There was very little new there from year to year. Same rides, same vendors, most of the same attractions, etc. which were even positioned in the same spots around the fairground year after year. I really doubt it took an army of year round full-time staff to organize the same thing over and over.

  14. K11

    Let’s call it as it is, this is the Syracuse fair. Vendors come from all over to set up at any fair – Syracuse is the only area that benefits from this event.

    This is taxpayer funded.

    I say scrap it, entirely. Stop frying my dough. I don’t attend.

  15. FedUp (The real one)

    Oh and one more thing. The fair is great. I love fairs, specially the State fair.

    That being said, if we’re in a dire fiscal crisis, where people are fleeing NY because of the tax burden being imposed on them, I think that optional recreational things need to be the first things to be cut.

    We all know that the politcians will take away things like state parks, pools, and fairs away from the people paying taxes before they dare to cut welfare payments to peopel that don’t work. God forbid they didn’t have air conditioning, internet, and cable like they do now.

  16. SomeSchmoe

    @Common Sense: Hiring a plumber for $50 an hour isn’t the same as hiring a full time employee for $18. The $50/hr guy goes away when there is no work, so the cost difference between a $50 guy who does something and then goes elsewhere and a $18 guy who is sitting around all year waiting for plumbing to break isn’t quite that simple.

  17. Milli Vanilli Groupie

    @Donna H, nothing but the real music here, but thanks. My point is that life goes on with or without you and we may as well enjoy the short time we have here instead of being so self-centered. If you don’t have a kid, you’re probably home watching reruns anyway. Caring about your kid’s future is much more than making a paycheck, despite your sweeping generalization. Instilling family values is equally as important and a family day out at the fair is a great time/place to pass it on. That does not ignore reality, but puts things in perspective. I’m fine taking the burden so my child doesn’t have to, even if it means swallowing my pride (hence no boycott) so they can be them. You’re right. Its a short event. All the more reason to quit whining for the day.

    Of course jobs are important and necessary, but if you are willing to spit in your brother’s eye, why should folks worry about defending you? The jobs are gone and wont be back in that form. Throwing a public tantrum won’t sway people who are themselves looking for work saying, “I’ll do that job for half what they charge”.

    You just look at this the wrong way. There are still people being employed, so while one guy takes a seat, another guy willing to compete steps in. We get to save a bunch on top of it so its win/win. If some feel the pay is bad, they don’t have to apply.

    Also, I love how the pro-union crowd will knock the skill of a non-union worker. You’re gonna tell me that the 5 year union worker is going to have the same experience as the guy working out of his house for 30 years thats been in every building in the neighbohood but didn’t take the union course and pay dues? Dont make me laugh. You sum it up like joining up automatically makes you some sort of a guru. It definitely doesn’t and statements like that portray an ignorant tone. Trust me, I’ve met some real geniuses on the jobsite and you wonder how they even manage dress themselves in the morning let alone survive 20 years in the local 41st or wherever. The fact is, private worker with significantly less overhead expense can offer a better rate. Simple as that. Skill has nothing to do with this debate. It’s beginner business economics. How many of those people you look down your nose at CAME from the union and decided to start their own business? I suppose they are the unskilled enemy you speak of too.

    If you are going to look down on people, at least use some common sense of your own.

  18. DeerJohn

    I think ol’ Dan has the Plan, and we should bring him to Albany. Maybe help out the guv, or hey, even run for the job in November. If he can remove all the state workers and replace them for 1/3 the cost, just think of the savings! Maybe we could even balance the budget(if we had one)! Maybe replenish the bottomless Pork Barrel. O’Hara For Governor!

  19. kevin

    @ Milli Vanilli…I know for a fact that in some of general labor unions, construction workers, they have certain quotas for work to be done, and for the most part those quotas are FAR less than what should really be required; so if anything, the union workers do less work(in that scenario, anyways). You also have to remember that it really comes down to the individual’s own mentality. If a person is in a hard-working mindset, they are going to work until they feel accomplished, which is probably more than a quota would require. It probably all balances out in the end. It’s the same with private contractors…You’re only going to work as hard as you are going to work.

  20. rkrough

    $47 an hour for a plumber? Anyone got their number? Most plumbers around here charge $75 just to show up.

  21. ResidentX


    first, the studies have been posted here that the average state worker (union) has a higher level of education than the average private sector worker. Are there some that have little to no education? sure but the overall average is higher than that in the private sector. Many jobs in the state are specialized and thus require that education. Its actually pretty funny because private sector workers with the same level of education want to be paid accordingly but dont want to pay a public employee anywhere near the same for the same or even more education/skills.

    I’ll also point to most of the road crews out there doing all that road work are actually PRIVATE contractors contracted to do the work and some even use state equipment. Strangely everyone wants to blame the laziness standing around etc on state workers when most are actually PRIVATE SECTOR workers.

    also… with something like Information Technology.. let me know the first person willing to do the job for less than what a state employee is being paid. A state worker being paid 50,000 to do a job is working along side a private contractor being paid 80,000 or 90,000 … or more for the same job. The other side of that is the few contractors who actually make around the same as a state worker to do the job are actually working for an agency who is skimming 20, 30 thousand or more off the top of their contract so the worker may not be making a on more but it costs the state more just the same because the contract agency is being paid huge sums for the service.

    a point on contract staff that hasnt been brought up. When a contractor is actually let go due to incompetence etc (which is far FAR from often) they are generally replaced almost immediately with another contractor because the contracting firm has a deal with the agency to place a certain number of contracts in order to achieve a certain profit. So even in tough times when cuts are necessary, its not like the state just doesnt place contractors to help save. They are pretty much forced to place/replace contractors due to the agreements with the contracting firms.

    how about the time spent by these contractors looking for the next, more lucrative contract throughout their work day spending large amounts of time on their cell phones etc.

    contract staff isnt nearly as cost effective as some seem to think and in fact can cost far FAR more. Much of that cost trickling into management and politicians pockets.

  22. K11

    “Goose and gander” you are a stooge. Through and through.

    It’s not a matter of Union workers are cheaper. It’s a matter of *MATH*.

    Union I.T. workers cost 1/2 what contractors cost the state.

    Union Plumbers cost TWICE that of seasonal employees.

  23. Another Albany Resident

    Managing the Empire Expo Center where the state fair takes place would be an enormous undertaking with it’s full season of events and attractions. The logistics involved in the details of planning and contracting for these events is beyond what anyone on this blog can imagine, unless you are a professional meeting/event planner.

    When people visit the fair or any of their events, they expect some level of quality. The choreography of the horse events has to meet expectations. The owners of expensive equipment need assurances that their investments are protected.

    This does not come cheap. By devalueing hard work, we devalue the quality of the experience at the fairgrounds and we a lowering the economic bar. Why would we want to make peoples hard work worth less? That is bad for society in the long run. We must look beyond this fiscal crisis and ask ourselves what our time and education is really worth. $17 per hour instead of $47? Why try? Why do anything?

  24. Clifton Park Voter

    It looks like the state government may have tried to cut waste. Isn’t that what all politicans promise to get elected?

    You want us to overpay for union work. The union then ‘donates’ money back to corrupt politicans. That is a kickback.

    My hard work is worth less because I am forced to give an increasing amount of it to the state so they can overpay union labor. Maybe I should stop trying.

  25. Mr Hoffa's Ghost

    if it weren’t for unions and the limited leverage they provide, no one would be making more than minimum wage, or less – lets not forget that unions were created to protect workers from unscrupulous employers willing to exploit men, women and even children to make a quick buck – and if you think sweatshops and child labor are things of the past, you need to dig your head out of the sand

    and with the plethora of unskilled resident alien workers ready to scarf up every available job for a less-than-respectable wage, I for one am glad to pay my dues to ensure my job isn’t out-sourced to anyone willing to work for peanuts, or less.

    unions aren’t to blame for the mess we’re in – we didn’t ask for massive raises when the economy was booming, and since our taxes are based on our income, we raise more income for the state by virtue of our higher salaries, which in turn allows for higher entitlements such as welfare, medicaid, and unemployment insurance – the real reasons our state is fiscally bankrupt, since they account for over 70% of the state’s budget

    union proud and union loud – the voice of fair labor practice will never be silenced!

  26. Gary Evans

    Yes, this NYS Fair is a waste of NYS tax dollars. Fair admission SHOULD and MUST cover all expenses. Period! Yes, the Syracuse area benefits greatly BUT at the expense of everyone else’s tax dollars! Just another bad example of New York State pork-barrel funding.
    I’d leave it to the Fair managers whom to hire and whether or NOT they are union members PROVIDING I and others NOT directly benefiting do NOT have to pay.
    If Syracuse wants THE fair then let Syracuse pay just a other local fairs around the state do!

  27. FedUp (The real one)

    I don’t agree with everything unions do, particularly with respect to protecting some bottom feeders within their ranks (which they are obligated to do). Every group will have a range of people that includes excellent to below average.

    For the most part, most union workers are honest hard working people. They are not paid “more” than people in the private sector doing similiar work for the most part.

    Maybe it is a little harder to fire them. And workign in government, especially NY state government, that is the ONLY way people who are not friend, family, or politcially connected would even be able to work in any state goverment jobs. The amount of political interference and retaliation even WITH union protections is mind-blowing.

    You would see much more corruption if employees were living completely under the thumb of their politcial masters and could be fired on a whim. The types of underlying reasons you’d see peopel getting fired would include things like standing up to corruption, someone’s friend or family member needing the job, or someone’s wife being jealous.

  28. hockeyguy

    With the lengthy list of properties owned by the State of New York I would be astounded if there weren’t already a large number of unionized plumbers on the state payroll. Shouldn’t be too hard to find out what NYS pays unionized plumbers (I doubt it is either $17 or $47 per hour) and make that the rate. Or would that be too simple of a solution?

  29. maverick100

    @ Hockeyguy:

    Here you go – the career ladder for Plumbers with the state:


    And the pay schedule:


    It looks like these plumbers, however, may have been in “exempt” positions and not true civil service positions, as the pay rates for their guild are a bit higher than the pay rates for those in civil service as listed on the Civil Service site. The guild does not look to be a civil service only guild, but a true trade guild for plumbers in any sector, public or private.


    Adding up the hourly rate and benefits on the unions site, and adding the the hourly stipend for being a senior general foreman is what gets these plumbers to that $47/hour mark that was quoted – in other words, it’s $47/hour total compensation if you are in a higher level supervisory position (as I read the chart that is), and the actual hourly pay rate would be $32.48. In other words, plumbers that are members of this trade guild that are working on private sector jobs are making the same as the ones working in the public sector if I’m reading things correctly, as they only list one payscale.

    Conversely, the Civil Service website reflects that a “Supervising Plumber” at the max pay rate would be making around $26/hour, and there are only 21 of those jobs statewide. The majority of the jobs (294 of them) are in the “Plumber & Steamfitter” title making from $17/hour as a trainee to $24/hour at the top of the payscale.

    In other words, had they used actual “civil service” plumbers, it looks like they would have made a bit less.

Comments are closed.