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Controversial Construction Plan Cuts Costs for Owners, Labor Unions Cry Foul

NEW YORK CITY-Owners could profit from a business model that uses unskilled workers and fewer supervisors, but unions contend the practice shortchanges owners in the end, saving only in the short-term, and is unjust for labor.

By Anthony Garritano | Updated on February 15, 2001

NEW YORK CITY-Independent developer Hamdi Yuksel has a different approach to development that he says has the potential to cut operating costs by 75%. Yuskel says he uses unskilled workers and rotating supers so that less senior staff is needed on the assignment. However, even if the price is right for owners, labor unions are lining up to oppose the plan.

Yuksel is a 20-year veteran developer who specializes in revamping burnt-out multifamily buildings. “When I initially pitch my plan, people tend to be taken aback,” laughs Yuksel in an exclusive interview with GlobeSt.com. “But in the end, the owner realizes that extreme expense can be spared when undertaking this plan.”

Opposition to this notion is strong among labor advocates. “This action will cut costs, but when it comes to professional firms in New York City, they want skilled labor who will be on time and provide good-grade work,” says one such opponent, Stephen McInnis of the District Council of Carpenters. “This program just isn’t doing justice to the worker or the consumer.”

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