New York Unions tie rezoning to pay rules

Crain's New York reports:

At first glance, the city's complex land-use regulations might seem far removed from the bread-and-butter issues affecting workers. Look again.

A coalition of unions is threatening to oppose rezoning measures citywide and potentially derail some of the Bloomberg administration's largest redevelopment projects if demands for livable wages, job training and affordable housing are not met.

The group will fight signature projects in all five boroughs, including Willets Point, 125th Street and Coney Island, unless it wins a blanket agreement mandating that developers, owners and commercial tenants pay livable wages at all projects that require rezoning.

“When we've looked at economic development in the past, there's been a notion that creating jobs is an end in itself,” says Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. “But if they're jobs that are keeping people in poverty, then I question what benefit is being produced for the community.”

The campaign—spearheaded by the umbrella New York City Central Labor Council and supported by most of the city's major unions—comes on the heels of labor's effort to reform the state's industrial development agencies. The state Assembly passed a bill that requires companies receiving IDA subsidies to pay fair wages, but the Republican-controlled state Senate rejected the idea.

For now, the zoning battle is being waged behind closed doors. Talks late last week between labor and city officials produced little progress, but both the union coalition and opposition groups are continuing to seek Mayor Michael Bloomberg's support.

“There's no reason why the city shouldn't require developers to ensure that future projects benefit the entire community,” says Mike Fishman, president of Local 32BJ, which represents building service workers, and a CLC executive board member.

Opponents of the union drive have told the mayor that the city would have to accept lower bids from companies for the right to develop projects that come with wage mandates.

“[The coalition members] should go out and do the traditional work of unions, which is to organize,” says Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York. “Instead, they're asking government to do this.”

We are unable to get a response from the members of the Gambino Crime Family on the issue of union wages.