Buckling under pressure from her constituents, Brooklyn council member Letitia James is now supporting the mammoth City Point development that non-union workers are putting up, Crain’s reported.
James had slammed the 1.9-million-square-foot mixed-use project in Downtown Brooklyn for not hiring union workers and even had joined a group of unions in suing contractors over “poverty-level wages,” as previously reported. She is no longer part of the lawsuit.
Developers told Crain’s that the project has since not changed, but James said in a statement she is “proud” to support to the development.
Nearly 40 community activists had planned to protest James’ opposition to City Point, which has created jobs. The union members submitted a letter cited by Crain’s that argued an all-union project would probably inhibit the hiring of minorities, women and local residents in general.
The about-face by James, who is running for public advocate, is her second this summer. In June, James criticized the BAM South development for being built by union workers but ultimately threw her support to the development, Crain’s said.
Construction recently began on the second phase of the three-part project. The first phase of City Point, along Fulton Mall, was finished last year. [Crain’s] – Mark Maurer