Carpenters group stages protest against construction firm

Representatives of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters (NERCC) have been demonstrating in front of the Lexington Town Office Building for weeks. The carpenters group is protesting against CTA Construction, claiming the contractor which submitted bids for two Lexington school projects does not pay fair wages and does poor quality work.

NERCC organizer Steve Falvey said he has been seeking public records for years to compile evidence demonstrating CTAs sub-standard practices.

Members of the Carpenters Local 26 have been informing the public of the possibility that a significant school remodeling project will be awarded to somebody who we believe does not possess the skills or management experience to do the job properly, Falvey said.

He said union members have been traveling throughout the area, carrying a banner that reads: Utter disregard for quality. Falvey said the line is a direct quote from a construction engineer who was dissatisfied with recent work done on the Parker Elementary School in Billerica.

Documents provided to the Lexington Minuteman by the NERCC indicate a level of dissatisfaction with work done by subcontractors hired by CTA for several local projects. For example, a Division of Asset Capital Management (DCAM) rated CTA well below average after a project at Menotomy Manor for the Arlington Housing Authority in 2010. The Arlington Housing Authority could not be reached for comment.

Accoding to CTA spokesman Jason Kauppi, CTAs average rating with DCAM is 94 out of 100, which more accurately reflects the quality of its work and its customer satisfaction than any individual score.

While Falvey insisted NERCC represents all local carpenters in the area regardless of union status, Kauppi dismissed the groups protest as a union issue.

The unions are doing this because CTA is a very successful, open-shop contractor, which means CTA is not bound to only use union contractors, Kauppi said. The unions dont want the competition.

Lexington and CTA

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Carpenters group stages protest against construction firm