New York Unions Rally in Support of Hudson Yards Casino Complex

A group of trade unions held a rally near the main offices of the High Line – the elevated public park which sits on a former New York Central Railroad spur – to support the Related Companies and Wynn Resorts’ plan to build a $12 billion casino complex at Hudson Yards.

The proposed casino would vie for one of three available downstate casino licenses in New York, which are expected to be awarded around the end of 2025. 

Workers Argue Against ‘Tyranny of Non-Development’

The “We Build” rally was planned in direct opposition to Protect the High Line, a non-profit group that has come out against the casino, saying it would damage the High Line trail for locals and tourists alike. Workers from unions including Local 580 Iron Workers, Sheet Metal Workers Local 28, UA Plumbers Local 1, and others took part in the rally. 

The rally was led by Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York President Gary LaBarbera, who told the crowd that development was necessary for the future of the city. 

“We’re gonna fight against this tyranny of non-development in this city,” LaBarbera told the hundreds of workers in attendance. “We have to send a message, not only to these organizations but to the elected officials as well, that we will not support them, we will never leave them along, until they support us and our futures.” 

The proposal from Related and Wynn would create an 80-story tower that would include a casino, hotel, and retail spaces. The complex would also include office and residential buildings as well as a 5.6-acre public park. 

Union Leaders Throw Shade on High Line Objections

Opponents say that the complex would ruin some of the iconic views trail walkers enjoy on the High Line.

“Our concern is this massive development project, as currently proposed, was designed without any community input and would do permanent damage to the High Line,” Friends of the High Line Executive Director Alan Van Capelle, who also leads Protect the High Line, wrote in a New York Daily News op-ed earlier this week. “Design choices in the development plan for Hudson Yards West would severely and permanently block views of the city [and] shroud the High Line and other open spaces in shadows for most of the day.”

That last objection has been the source of derision from casino supporters. At the We Build rally, workers chanted “f*** the shade” in response to a mention of that argument, and LaBarbera referenced the “elite attitudes” of groups like Protect the High Line.

However, a recent poll commissioned by Friends of the High Line found that 56 percent of voters were against the zoning changes that would allow for the casino project, with just 24 percent in favor.

In addition, opponents say they aren’t against development in the area – just the current casino plan. A residential building plan agreed upon in 2009 had room for 5,762 housing units on the site, a number that would be down to just 1,507 in the Wynn/Related casino proposal. 

“We want the Western Rail Yards developed. The Buildings Trades Council wants the Western Rail Yards developed. And that would be happening right now if Related and Wynn hadn’t secretly changed their original plans without community input,” a spokesperson for Protect the High Line told W42ST.com. “The Building Trades should be protesting Related for slowing down development with their changes that permanently harm the High Line and the community.”