Rallying for Good Jobs & Responsible Development

On February 26, I joined “Build Up NYC,” an alliance of public officials, labor unions and advocates, at a rally advocating for safe and responsible development that provides good wages and benefits. Developers who receive public support – whether in the form of public funds, tax abatements or zoning changes – have an obligation to provide safe, good-paying jobs with affordable health insurance and retirement benefits for their employees. The rally, which took place in my district on 54th Street and Eighth Avenue, specifically targeted real estate developer Starwood Capital, which has used non-union labor at a nearby, problem-plagued development site as well as at its other development sites across the city. I will continue to stand with organized labor, which negotiates wages and benefits and provides training and apprenticeship programs in the effort to strengthen New York’s middle class.