While plans for the Kingsbridge National Ice Center (KNIC) are on a holding pattern pending lawsuits, Bronx residents affiliated with labor unions are making sure that jobs for the $350 million project go to them.

Union representatives, community advocates, and residents marched around the Kingsbridge Armory, the expected home of KNIC, chanting “Let’s Keep the Fight” in response to the pending decision of whether or not union jobs will be used to help repurpose the 750,000-square-foot space.

The Clean Slate, Rebuilding America, and Laborers International Union of North America were some of the unions represented at the protest on June 29. Together, they marched around the Kingsbridge Armory, a landmark that’s sat vacant for the past 20 years.

The demonstration doubled as a springboard for candidates looking for support from labor unions in the upcoming primaries, with many unions typically offering critical support to candidates.

“The people in this community need jobs that will provide pensions,” said Ischia Bravo, a candidate in the 78th Assembly District race. “We don’t need temporary jobs; we need lifetime jobs.”

Councilman Fernando Cabrera, a Democratic candidate for the 33rd Senate District race against incumbent Senator Gustavo Rivera and current legislator for the 14th Council District, stood in unison with the protestors who were holding up signs such as “More Pay, Better Benefits” and “Union Jobs for Local Leaders.”

“When we started the negotiations, the very first question I asked was if unions would be involved and I was told yes,” said Cabrera, referring to the Community Benefits Agreement between community stakeholders and KNIC. “I am disappointed that KNIC is now reneging on its promise to the community.”

As it stands, KNIC has promised the project will create 890 construction jobs and 267 permanent jobs, with a majority of those jobs going to Bronx residents living in or near Kingsbridge Heights, where the Armory is located. At a town hall forum early this year, John Neary, a representative from KNIC, sidestepped questions over whether KNIC would be built with union labor.

“It’s important to have unions because people have career opportunities, “said Anthony Williamson who is a representative for Construction and General Building Laborers. “It’s about building a family, having decent wages and benefits and building up the middle class in America.”

Construction for KNIC should have begun this year, but has been marred with a lawsuit preventing the project from moving forward.

Additional reporting by David Cruz.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.