(BUFFALO) - The only way - as a voting member of the Erie County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) representing Organized Labor - he would vote favorably to provide taxpayer subsidies to Rocco Termini for his announced $35 million project to renovate and restore the Hotel Lafayette is if the Buffalo developer agrees to pay prevailing wages on the project, Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council President tells WNYLaborToday.com.

Reportedly, Termini's plan calls for turning the six-story, 367-room hotel into a mixed-use development, anchored by a 40-room boutique hotel, five restaurants, more than 15,000 in commercial space and a banquet facility.  Business First reported in a recent story there were also "concerns the new state budget may include Prevailing Wage Provisions for any project that receives an inducement or incentive package from an IDA.  Without attributing the comment to any individual or source, the Business First story also stated that "such a provision would wipe out any IDA benefit and could add 10 % or more to a project's development cost."

"What you have here is someone saying, 'I need your help to do this project,' but I can't be bothered to pay the people who work on my project decent wages.  In the end, (Termini) will profit handsomely, and do so by using taxpayer money by doing the work cheaply.  I say, 'Keep your money."  I'll vote against it.  This community needs jobs.  What he's building is not going to favorably impact Working People.  So why should I vote to subsidize him?," Hoffert said.

Just today, it was reportedly the Lafayette Hotel will be boarded up by April 1st.  Termini - who is seeking New York State Historic Tax Credits for the project - blamed state officials in Albany for the hold-up.  If boarded up, the Lafayette Hotel will become the second landmark structure in Downtown Buffalo to do so.  The Statler Hotel was recently shuttered.

During a wide-ranging interview on a number of topics relating to and involving Organized Labor, Hoffert provided WNYLaborToday.com with his "State of the Union" overview for the Buffalo Central Labor Council, whose dozens of member Unions combine to represent 80,000 Unionized workers.

The Buffalo AFL-CIO president said he felt Organized Labor has grown to be "too polite and soft-spoken" in recent years.  "We are the face and voice of Labor.  We need to get our people, hundreds of thousands, out there to impress upon our elected leadership that we too are taxpayers and not a 'special interest,' and that 'they' represent 'us,'" Hoffert said.

"We also need to become even more issue-based," Hoffert continued.  "Organized Labor has not just supported Democrats.  We've also supported a number of Republicans (who support issues important to Working People).  However, Labor is fed up with a good majority (of elected officials).  They're always looking for our support and monetary donations, but where are when it comes to the state budget?  And where does an elected official get off telling the taxpayers of New York State that he's going to hold up giving them their state tax returns?  (Elected officials) should all know the value of Labor.  If they don't support our issues, they shouldn't receive our support."

Hoffert is also tired of what he describes as the "traditional media," as well as elected officials, blaming public employees for every conceivable economic ill or problem that currently faces New York State, the County of Erie and the City of Buffalo these days.

"You have an inordinate of overtime being worked, especially when it comes to policemen, firefighters, sanitation workers and nurses.  What we need to do is start working a forty-hour work week, not seven days a week or extra overtime.  Overtime was always supposed to be an unforeseen cost.  Now it's being budgeted and we're paying more for public services.  More and more Working People are getting burned out," he said.

"(Buffalo) Mayor (Byron) Brown and Erie County Executive (Chris) Collins both say they represent taxpayers.  They say these services have to be better delivered in a cost-effective manor. Union Members are the ones who are also paying high taxes, and if we're not out there fighting for what's right, no one benefits," Hoffert said.

Regarding the City of Buffalo, Hoffert said he cannot understand with the city having a $15 million surplus that Labor disputes involving both police officers and firefighters cannot be settled with City Hall. 

"It's criminal for (the administration) to allow us to have a surplus (and not settled the Labor concerns).  What's the hold-up?  And it's no different with the Common Council.  Who's minding the store?  (Labor) is disappointed with the process.  We need to educate our individual members and convince them to vote on our collective interests," the Buffalo AFL-CIO president said.

Hoffert also has a problem with the amount of Federal Stimulus Funding that has yet to be released in the City of Buffalo.  To date, Hoffert said he has been personally told by Mayor Brown that only $10 million in funding has been received.  Brown, Hoffert said, "bounced the ball back into the court of the Federal Government" and is asking Organized Labor to contact their federally-elected representatives to find out where the rest of the money is.  "(Organized Labor) is very disappointed with this process," he said.

Regarding Erie County, Hoffert wondered aloud what County Executive Collins has really done to create jobs and work to help get the Working Poor off public assistance and welfare?

"Instead, (Collins) blames public employees for all the county's problems.  He should be ashamed for the way he acted with the day-care subsidies for the Working Poor," Hoffert said.