Announcement: Union Demonstrations and Presence of Rat

To: Members of the Pratt Community
From: Thomas F. Schutte, President
Subject: Union Demonstrations and Presence of Rat

I am writing to advise you that Local 79, a labor union, is engaged in
leafleting and protesting with the positioning of a rat outside the main
gate of the Institute. This union does not represent any of the employees
at the Institute.

Local 79 is allegedly protesting on the basis that their members were not
hired by the subcontractors of the construction manager to perform
excavation and other work for the new academic and administrative
building at 524 Myrtle Avenue.

Triton Construction Company, which has extensive experience in school
construction and related projects, was hired by the Institute to manage
the project. Triton was selected by Pratt as the construction manager
following a detailed competitive bidding process and thorough evaluation
of Triton's competence to perform successfully on such projects. As
construction manager, Triton is responsible and accountable for selecting
and engaging all subcontractors that will perform the work required to
complete the project.

Any protest relating to an alleged labor dispute the union may have
concerning the employment of its members on the project should be
directed to the subcontractors engaged by the construction manager, not
the Institute. Triton has advised us that no company was precluded from
bidding on any work at the project due to union status, and contractors
chosen to work at the project were selected based on experience, cost,
and work history on similar projects.

If any faculty or staff members receive an inquiry from the union
regarding this issue, please direct the person to contact Edmund Coletti,
executive director of planning, design, construction, and physical plant,
at (718) 636-3579.

Any inquiries from the press regarding this issue should be referred to
Mara McGinnis, executive director of public relations and communications,
at (718) 636-3471 or mara.mcginnis@pratt.edu.

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