Posted Mar 9, 2010, 1:05 AM
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New Yorker for life
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Borough of Jersey
Posts: 51,900
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Patience wears thing...
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article...ATE/100309884#
Construction workers to rally at Ground Zero
Demonstration comes as arbitrator's Friday deadline nears for Port Authority and Larry Silverstein to finally settle their long-running differences.
By Theresa Agovino
March 8, 2010
Quote:
Thousands of unionized construction workers, plus a few elected officials, are expected to hold a rally Tuesday to pressure the two sides warring over rebuilding part of Ground Zero to reach an agreement.
The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and Larry Silverstein have been feuding for more than a year over how much financial support the agency should provide the developer to help him build. An arbitration panel set a deadline for this Friday for the two sides to devise a new plan and schedule for Mr. Silverstein to build three towers on the portion of the site he leases from the Port.
“We want to bring to the forefront the sense of urgency to get something done,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York., a union trade group. “We want to urge them to stay at the bargaining table.”
Union unemployment hovers around 35%, and a deal that will help Mr. Silverstein start building a second tower could help reduce that rate, said Louis Coletti, president of the Building Trades Employers’ Association, which represents contractors who use union labor. Mr. Silverstein has already started to construct one of his office buildings.
“This disagreement has dragged on too long,” said Mr. Coletti.
Both Mr. LaBarbera and Mr. Coletti plan to address the rally, which starts at noon and is expected to draw between 2,000 and 5,000 members of the construction trades. Other speakers are expected to include: City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and U.S. Representatives Joseph Crowley, Peter King, Carolyn Maloney, Michael McMahon and Gregory Meeks.
The rally is to be held in front of 7 World Trade Center, which is owned by Mr. Silverstein. However, Mr. Coletti says the location does not mean that the unions or management favor Mr. Silverstein's proposal over the Port's.
“It's not a pro-Larry rally,” he said. “It's a build now rally.”
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