An open letter to the members of the New York State Assembly and Senate

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To the Members of the New York State Legislature who voted in favor of the so-called Data Center Moratorium:

As the Business Manager of Laborers’ Local 435, representing hundreds of hardworking men and women across the Rochester and Finger Lakes Region, I write today with deep disappointment over your decision to support legislation that sends a clear message to employers and investors that New York State is closed for business.

By casting that vote, you did not simply oppose a construction project—you voted against jobs, against opportunity, and against the next generation of skilled tradespeople looking to build careers and support their families.

Every data center built in New York means thousands of hours of work for laborers and the entire building trades. It means apprentices getting their first opportunity to enter a registered apprenticeship program. It means veterans, young people, and working families gaining access to good-paying, middle-class careers.

Your vote puts those opportunities at risk.

Even more troubling, this legislation is rooted in misinformation rather than facts. Data centers are not an unnecessary luxury—they are essential infrastructure for the modern economy. Every email sent, every online transaction, every AI platform used, and every smartphone in your pocket relies on them. The odds are that every legislator receiving this letter benefits from data centers every single day.

The reality is simple: if New York refuses to welcome this investment, these companies will build elsewhere. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Texas, and many other states stand ready to accept the jobs and economic growth that New York has chosen to reject.

Along with those investments go thousands of construction hours, permanent careers, tax revenue, and future opportunities for our apprentices and members. Laborers’ Local 435 believes in responsible development and environmental stewardship, but we also believe in facts, innovation, and creating family-sustaining careers. Those goals can and should coexist.

This vote has consequences. It reinforces the damaging narrative that New York is hostile to economic development and unwilling to compete for the industries that will define the future economy.

Our members build the infrastructure that keeps this state moving. They deserve elected officials who will fight for working people instead of driving opportunity elsewhere.

We will remember who stood with working men and women, and who chose politics and misinformation over jobs. Our members, their families, and the communities they support will be paying close attention when they cast their ballots this November and in the years ahead.

Sincerely,

Daniel Kuntz
Business Manager
Laborers’ Local 435