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First published: Saturday, May 3, 2008
FLORIDA -- The Capital District Area Labor Federation will hold a rally at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Town Hall to protest the award of steel-erection work by Beech-Nut Nutrition Corp. to an out-of-state firm.
Union leaders say the company will use nonunion, out-of-state workers to do at least part of the work.
Labor officials say Beech-Nut could receive as much as $106.5 million in taxpayer-funded incentives to help it build its $124 million production plant and headquarters building.
"Where is the local benefit to our community, to the workers and to our taxpayers?" the federation asked in an e-mail alert. "All the corporate grants will not benefit the community until a requirement is developed to promote corporate responsibility to the workers and our community, which produces all these millions of dollars worth of incentives."
Beech-Nut, a unit of Hero Group, last week said it had awarded $20 million in contracts, including $17 million in work to unionized companies and to in-state steel fabricators.
Buckner Steel Erection of North Carolina, a nonunion firm, is getting the remaining $3 million in work.
The Florida Planning Board meets at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Town Hall on Fort Hunter Road and will decide whether to give its approval to the project.
A spokeswoman for the town said Beech-Nut also needs some environmental permits before construction can begin.
The producer of baby food will move operations from plants in Canajoharie and Fort Plain to the new building, and will relocate its headquarters there from temporary offices in Latham.
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Original story:
http://www.timesunion.com/
