Dear Friend,

Yesterday, four members of the City Planning Commission took the unusual step of voting against the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment project in the Bronx because of the project's potential to bring poverty-wage jobs to the community instead of positive economic development.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance (KARA) to push for living wage jobs with benefits. And the union voices in favor of ensuring this development creates good jobs are getting louder.

Despite the opposition, the City Planning Commission still approved the plan without guarantees for good jobs, and the project will now go to the City Council for final approval.

We need to make sure that publicly-financed projects actually benefit the public. Mega-developer Related has already received promises of $90 million in public financing through Industrial Development Agency (IDA) subsidies, tax credits and repairs to the building. Let's keep up the pressure on Related and the City Council, so that this development creates good jobs and responds to community needs.

And let's make sure the Kingsbridge Armory isn't yet another IDA project gone wrong. Too often, IDAs have given our tax dollars to companies that created poverty-wage jobs, no jobs at all, or some that actually cut jobs. Increasing standards, accountability and transparency in New York's IDAs would spur positive economic development and help deliver good jobs when we need them most.

Join striking Steelworkers tomorrow for a demonstration against global mining giant Vale at the New York Stock Exchange. For three months, approximately 3,500 members of the United Steelworkers in Canada have been on strike against demands for massive concessions at Vale, the world's second largest mining company. Vale has been wrongfully undercutting the strike, so to take on this global company, the workers have been acting globally.

Tomorrow, you can help this global effort by acting locally.  We'll be meeting at 8:30 am on the steps of Federal Hall across from the Exchange for the demonstration and to handbill investors. Union members will also be holding a 'Vale Day' on the picket lines in Sudbury, Ontario and a demonstration in front of the company's Canadian headquarters in Toronto.