NYC City Council Votes Down Poverty Wage Center in the Bronx (12/14/09)

(l to r) Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, New York City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera, RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz after today's council vote.

The New York City Council today voted down a proposal by the Related Companies to redevelop the Kingsbridge Armory site in the Bronx, after the developers refused to sign an agreement guaranteeing living wages at stores at the site, the right for workers to join unions without intimidation and interference, and other community benefits. The council voted down the proposal 45-1, with one abstention.

According to RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, the RWDSU and the coalition of unions, clergy, and the community that made up the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance will continue fighting for responsible redevelopment projects that will benefit the surrounding communities, and not just the big business interests that seek to develop them.

"We believe, and I think most New Yorkers believe, that when public dollars are used to promote private development, New Yorkers have the right to expect something in return: that the jobs they're creating will lift workers and their families out of poverty," Appelbaum said at a press conference after the council's vote.

"As far as we're concerned, the battle for middle-class jobs for New Yorkers has only just begun," Appelbaum added.

"Today we saw the interests of the people take precedence over the interests of corporate America, and that sure feels good," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz. "The vote today hopefully sends a message: that we can no longer support development that ensures profits for big business, while perpetuating poverty for the people of the Bronx."

Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition said the vote signals a change in the way communities will approach redevelopment projects.

"We are sending the message that we want to work, but we want to work with dignity, and we want to be free of harassment if we want to join a union, and we want good jobs. And we are saying that this isn't just about Kingsbridge, this is about every new development project in New York City," Pilgrim-Hunter said.

Pro-worker activists at the press conference after the city council's vote.