Central Labor Council

Practically every major Democrat in the city was at the corner of 14th Street and First Avenue yesterday afternoon to announce the formation of a what they say is the largest housing coalition in the city’s history.

The group, New York Is Our Home, includes labor and tenant groups, the Working Families Party and others.

The most heated rhetoric (video here) came from the Central Labor Council's Ed Ott, who said, “The price of housing in this city is effectively theft” and that affordable housing units, like the ones in Stuyvesant Town behind him, “are being stolen by the greed of developers and the market.”

Which drew applause and energetic head nods from the crowd of elected officials behind him.

In attendance at the rally were Christine Quinn, Bill Thompson, Betsy Gotbaum, Tom Duane, John Sabini, Ruben Diaz, Jr., Keith Wright, Jonathan Bing, Linda Rosenthal, Dan Garodnick, Eric Gioia and Charles Barron, among others. Most of them spoke but none matched Ott’s directness.

After the speeches, the group formed a human chain around Stuy Town, which is several blocks long, and marched down to Union Square.

Practically every major Democrat in the city was at the corner of 14th Street and First Avenue yesterday afternoon to announce the formation of a what they say is the largest housing coalition in the city’s history.

The group, New York Is Our Home, includes labor and tenant groups, the Working Families Party and others.

The most heated rhetoric (video here) came from the Central Labor Council's Ed Ott, who said, “The price of housing in this city is effectively theft” and that affordable housing units, like the ones in Stuyvesant Town behind him, “are being stolen by the greed of developers and the market.”

Which drew applause and energetic head nods from the crowd of elected officials behind him.

In attendance at the rally were Christine Quinn, Bill Thompson, Betsy Gotbaum, Tom Duane, John Sabini, Ruben Diaz, Jr., Keith Wright, Jonathan Bing, Linda Rosenthal, Dan Garodnick, Eric Gioia and Charles Barron, among others. Most of them spoke but none matched Ott’s directness.

After the speeches, the group formed a human chain around Stuy Town, which is several blocks long, and marched down to Union Square.

UPDATE: Adolfo Carrion, Brian Kavanagh and Adam Clayton Powell IV also attended.

The Central Labor Council just suspended the remainder of Brian McLaughlin's paid leave of absence, which was worth about $90,000, one source said.

Looks like labor leaders aren't waiting for a verdict.

Here is a statement from the CLC's executive committee, whose 32 members voted unanimously to cut its financial ties to McLaughlin:

"After careful consideration, the Central Labor Council Executive Board has decided to suspend the remainder of Brian McLaughlin's paid leave of absence, effective immediately. The Board's decision was based on the serious allegations in the indictment, which included financial impropriety involving assets of the Central Labor Council. "While respecting Mr. McLaughlin's presumption of innocence, the Board believes this action is appropriate at this time."

-- Azi Paybarah

I was kind of waiting for the Voice's Tom Robbins to weigh in with a definitive explanation what Central Labor Council chief Brian McLaughlin is actually accused of. He does that and throws in a mafia-ties bonus in this must-read online dispatch.

Here's his explanation of why McLaughlin would have been part of the alleged scheme:

Several of the contractors were involved in the city's streetlight program, where McLaughlin had enormous clout as a result of his role as a top official of Local 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. While most of his official union business centered on his Central Labor Council role, McLaughlin maintained control over a unit of the electrical workers' union whose members worked for the streetlighting contractors, sources said. By agreeing to reduce labor costs for favored contractors, McLaughlin was able to help steer awards to his pals, the sources said.

Robbins, whose judgement on this kind of thing is hard to match, writes as though the case against McLaughlin is pretty well nailed down.

Statement from the New York City Central Labor Council:

"This morning, government authorities came to our office requesting, reviewing and collecting certain documents. There are currently no charges or allegations against the Central Labor Council or any of its officers, directors or employees. The Central Labor Council is fully cooperating with this investigation."

FBI Special Agent Jim Margolin tells The Poliitcker that this morning's raid on Central Labor Council headquarters was "a search in connection with an ongoing investigation," and that's all he has to say about that.

Also, he says council chief Brian McLaughlin has not been arrested.

The Politicker's Azi Paybarah was turned away from the Central Labor Council's West 15th street office after seeing at least three FBI agents combing over the third-floor headquarters, other agents in the building, and a blue FBI van pulling away out front.

Azi reports that he was kind enough to open the door for three more FBI agents in windbreakers, entering the building carrying stacks of empty cardboard boxes.

A person who identified himself as the CLC's secretary told The Politicker that Central Labor Council chief Brian McLaughlin was apparently not in the building at the time of the raid.