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September 4, 2008
Union demonstration at Yonkers' Ridge Hill development
The Journal News
by Len Maniace
Signatories to the Atlantic Yards Community Benefits Agreement might want to check the fine print, since Forest City Ratner appears to be having a small non-union-labor problem with its Ridge Hill development in Yonkers.
Several hundred union construction workers gathered at the entrance to the Ridge Hill development in Yonkers this morning to protest the use of non-union workers for part of the project.
The union demonstration was organized by the Building and Construction Trades Council of Westchester and Putnam. The protest was called because one of the developers on the site ignored an agreement that called for only union workers to be used at the 81-acre parcel, according to Eddie Doyle, president of the union coalition.
"The unions are the ones who supported this project and went to the council meetings and met with council members to get this approved," Doyle said. "This isn't right."
Signing onto the agreement were the main developer for the site, Forest City Ratner, the unions, and the city of Yonkers.
NoLandGrab: Forest City Ratner may be adhering to the letter of its agreement in Yonkers by using union labor exclusively for its work, but if it "sells off" part of Atlantic Yards to other developers, as is the case in Yonkers, would the CBA no longer apply?
Posted by eric at September 4, 2008 3:45 PM