Building and Construction Trades Council

What Building and Construction Trades Council does

The Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC) is a labor union coalition representing approximately 100,000 union construction workers in New York City through local affiliates of 15 national and international unions, including electricians, plumbers, ironworkers, carpenters, laborers, and other skilled trades. Founded as a coordinating body for affiliated locals under the North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) umbrella, BCTC is led by President Gary LaBarbera (since 2009), who also heads the New York State Building and Construction Trades Council (since 2021). The organization is headquartered at 350 West 31st Street, Suite 700, New York, NY, with a small administrative staff of approximately 5-10 members.

BCTC's core offerings center on labor-relations services rather than technology products. It negotiates Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) covering over $100 billion in public-sector work with the City of New York and the NYC School Construction Authority, alongside approximately $100 billion in private-sector PLAs. It administers the century-old New York Plan for Jurisdictional Disputes and the associated Green Book decisions, providing mediation and arbitration across brickwork, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, ironwork, and other trades. Its Apprenticeship Readiness Collective (ARC) consolidates four workforce-development programs — Construction Skills (CSKILLS), Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW), NY Helmets to Hardhats (NYH2H), and Pathways to Apprenticeship (P2A) — which have cumulatively placed more than 3,200 veterans and individuals from underserved communities into union apprenticeship programs.

The business model is funded through affiliation fees and per-capita dues from the 15 international/national unions and their local affiliates, rather than commercial pricing. BCTC reaches construction workers through its affiliated local unions and pre-apprenticeship programs, engages public-sector clients (NYC government, SCA, NYCHA) through PLAs, and provides post-sale member support via the Member Assistance Program (MAP) covering substance abuse, mental health, and suicide crisis services across 35+ affiliated locals. Revenue concentration is structurally high on the public-sector side, with PLA negotiation and jurisdictional dispute administration serving as the primary value delivery mechanisms rather than fee-for-service billing.

Name

Building and Construction Trades Council

Legal name

Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York

Website

https://nycbuildingtrades.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York is a labor union coalition representing approximately 100,000 NYC construction workers through 15 affiliated international unions. It negotiates project labor agreements, administers jurisdictional dispute resolution, and runs apprenticeship-readiness programs including veteran and women's pathways into union trades.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Trade Union Services

NAICS

Building Equipment Contractors (2382), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237990)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & General Labor Staffing (BPACAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction (EDABALAF), Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

Keywords

• Construction trade union
• Labor representation services
• Project labor agreements
• Apprenticeship readiness programs
• Jurisdictional dispute resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: The BCTC is funded through affiliation fees and dues from its 15 affiliated international unions and local union affiliates representing approximately 100,000 union construction workers in New York City.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York is a labor union coalition of local affiliates of 15 National and International unions that represents approximately 100,000 union construction workers in NYC. It negotiates Project Labor Agreements with the City of New York, the NYC School Construction Authority, and private developers; administers the New York Plan for Jurisdictional Disputes; and operates the Apprenticeship Readiness Collective (ARC) comprising four direct-entry pre-apprenticeship programs serving underserved communities, veterans, and women.

Product overview

The Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York is a labor union organization comprising local affiliates of 15 national and international unions representing approximately 100,000 union construction workers. Rather than a unified technology product, BCTC offers a portfolio of workforce development and labor relations services, centered on the Apprenticeship Readiness Collective (ARC) and its four founding partner programs: Construction Skills Inc. (CSKILLS), Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW), NY Helmets to Hardhats (NYH2H), and Pathways to Apprenticeship (P2A). Additional services include Project Labor Agreements advocacy, the New York Plan for Jurisdictional Disputes resolution, Member Assistance Programs for affiliated union members, and promotional videos showcasing union construction careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Apprenticeship Readiness Collective (ARC) A collective initiative connecting the four founding partner programs (CSKILLS, NEW, NYH2H, P2A) to provide direct-entry and pre-apprenticeship recruitment for BCTC affiliates, helping New Yorkers access union construction apprenticeship programs.
• Construction Skills Inc. (CSKILLS) The Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills apprenticeship readiness program provides training and Direct Entry access to NYC public high school seniors and other residents seeking careers in the unionized building and construction trades; has placed over 2,100 individuals from underserved areas into apprentice programs.
• Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) A Direct Entry program that prepares, trains, and places women in careers in skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades, helping women achieve economic independence and a secure future through union construction careers.
• NY Helmets to Hardhats (NYH2H) A 501(c)(3) Direct Entry Program assisting active duty veterans, National Guard, and Reservists transition to careers with the New York Building Trades unions and affiliated employers; has placed over 1,100 veterans in construction careers across the five boroughs since 2013.
• Pathways to Apprenticeship (P2A) A Direct Entry pre-apprenticeship program which recruits, trains, and mentors people from low-income communities for placement and success in union construction apprenticeship programs in NYC and Westchester County.
• Project Labor Agreements (PLA) Pre-hire collective bargaining agreements between labor organizations and general contractors, construction managers, or developers that set standardized terms and conditions of employment for all construction workers on job sites; over $100 billion in PLAs negotiated with the City of New York and NYC School Construction Authority.
• New York Plan for Jurisdictional Disputes A dispute resolution plan providing mediation and arbitration services for resolving construction jurisdictional disputes in a timely manner; administered by BCTC for more than a century and underpinning the Green Book reference compilation.
• Green Book Decisions A compilation of various arbitration decisions under the New York Plan for Jurisdictional Disputes, covering brickwork, carpentry, cement work, electrical work, glazing, iron work, painting, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal work, steamfitting, tile work, and other construction trades.
• PLA Grievances Processing A formal grievance process under PLA agreements with steps for mediation and arbitration, including procedures for notifying superintendents, scheduling Step 2 mediation, and selecting arbitrators.
• Member Assistance Programs (MAP) Confidential support services available to union members including substance abuse assistance, depression support, and suicide crisis resources, with contact information for local union MAP coordinators across 35+ affiliated unions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,100 veterans placed in construction careers since 2013 through Helmets to Hardhats
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization representing millions of construction workers across the United States and Canada. The BCTC is affiliated with NABTU through its 15 International Unions, providing a network of organized labor at the continental level.
• Construction Skills Inc. (CSKILLS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills provides apprenticeship readiness training and direct entry access for NYC public high school seniors and residents seeking careers in unionized building and construction trades. Has placed over 2,100 individuals from underserved areas.
• Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrepares, trains, and places women in careers in skilled construction, utility, and maintenance trades, helping women achieve economic independence and secure futures through union construction careers.
• NY Helmets to HardhatscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) Direct Entry Program assisting active duty veterans, National Guard, and Reservists transition to careers with NYC Building Trades unions and affiliated employers. Has placed over 1,100 veterans since 2013.
• Pathways to Apprenticeship (P2A)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect Entry pre-apprenticeship program recruiting, training, and mentoring people from low-income communities for placement in union construction apprenticeship programs in NYC and Westchester County.
• NYC School Construction AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in project labor agreements for school construction projects in New York City, ensuring skilled union labor for educational infrastructure development.
• New York City GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor project labor agreement partner with the City of New York for public works projects including housing, infrastructure, and municipal construction, representing over $100 billion in agreements.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU): NABTU is the continental umbrella federation of construction trade unions. BCTC is directly affiliated through its 15 international unions, making NABTU the closest institutional peer at a national scope.
• AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations): The national labor federation that BCTC ultimately connects to via the NY State AFL-CIO. Operates a comparable labor-coordination role at the national level across all industries.

Emerging players

• Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW): A BCTC subsidiary and one of the four ARC founding programs. Sister organizations like Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) operate the same women-into-trades model in other metros, making them a comparable emerging-peer program.

Regional players

• Chicago & Cook County Building & Construction Trades Council: One of the largest comparable metro building trades councils outside NYC, operating the same model of negotiating PLAs and running apprenticeship programs for union construction workers in a major U.S. metro.
• Los Angeles/Orange County Building & Construction Trades Council: A direct regional analog representing union construction trades across the LA/OC region. Runs a near-identical portfolio of PLAs, apprenticeship programs, and jurisdictional dispute resolution.

Direct peers

• New York City Central Labor Council (AFL-CIO): The NYC AFL-CIO central body covering all unions citywide. LaBarbera previously served as its president; it operates a structurally similar council model but across industries beyond construction.
• New York State Building and Construction Trades Council: The state-level sister organization now led by the same president (Gary LaBarbera), representing 200,000 tradespeople across New York State. Functionally a near-identical council with a broader geographic mandate.
• Helmets to Hardhats (National): The national 501(c)(3) that inspired the NY chapter operated by BCTC. Directly comparable program model for transitioning veterans into union construction careers.
• Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills (Construction Skills): A BCTC program providing apprenticeship readiness training; peer apprenticeship-readiness programs exist in other cities (e.g., Philadelphia's Building Trades Pre-Apprenticeship programs) operating the same direct-entry-to-union-trades model.

Others

• Building Trades Employers Association of New York: The contractor-side counterpart that negotiates with NYC building trades unions on PLAs. Operates on the opposite side of the same labor-relations table as BCTC, making it a highly comparable institutional peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NYCBldgTrades

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Building and Construction Trades Council