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Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park infographics: what's built/what's coming/what's missing, who's responsible, + project FAQ/timeline (pinned post)

Atlantic Yards circularity: original CBA signatory said to support protest of Barclays Center's treatment of workers

We've had more than a few moments of Atlantic Yards circularity, in which opponents or supporters of the project have wound up in an opposite position.

Consider Rosie Perez, once a prominent speaker at a rally opposing the project, now an official ambassador of sorts, or Umar Jordan, a powerful speaker in favor of the project, then pronouncing that "they played Brooklyn." (In only one case is there a financial/professional benefit or advantage associated--not hard to guess which.)

We almost had another on Tuesday, when SEIU 32BJ held a rally to protest the Barclays Center's "Broken Promises That Keep them from Steady Work and Benefits." Very few get enough hours to qualify for health insurance, despite a generalized intent to reach that goal.

One union supporter mentioned in the press advisory, who didn't actually show up, is Bishop Orlando Findlayter of the New Hope Christian Fellowship.

A CBA signatory

You may remember that, in February 2014, Rev. Findlayter, a political ally of Mayor Bill de Blasio, was in the news after the mayor intervened to ensure he didn't go to jail after being stopped for a traffic violation (and having outstanding warrants).

Findlayter was an original signer of the Atlantic Yards Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) in June 2005, though his presence was barely noticeable.

The All-Faith Council of Brooklyn, a purported organization of clergy that Findlayter co-chaired, never met publicly, to my knowledge. It was replaced as a CBA signatory as of early 2008 (if not sooner) by a group called Faith in Action, led by the equally under-the-radar Rev. Lydia Sloley. No explanation was offered, and Findlayter left the scene.

But now we know he's on record, more or less, as protesting at least one aspect of the arena's operations.

Of course, if developer Forest City Ratner had hired an Independent Compliance Monitor as promised publicly, we'd know more about the jobs. But they never did. And now Forest City, apparently, no longer controls the arena operating company, having reached a deal to sell to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov.

Comments

  1. Anonymous1:03 AM

    Obviously no one in the government reading these excorciating details on a regular basis cares enough or feels they have the clout to do anything at all... but thank you~=~

    ReplyDelete

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