Union Deal Paves Way for Hudson Yards Phase 2

Daniel Geiger reports: "The Related Cos., the developer behind the $20 billion Hudson Yards complex on the Far West Side, and the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, the umbrella union group that represents roughly 100,000 union construction workers, said Wednesday they have a framework to return to the bargaining table."

Geiger describes the feud leading up to the deal as bitter. "Related used union construction workers exclusively to build the first part of Hudson Yards, which is scheduled to formally open March 15. But the partnership fractured a year ago as Related sought to use some nonunion workers for the second phase."

Geiger details the acrimonious back and forth that ensued, which finally broke this week: "It wasn't immediately clear who blinked first, but the framework appears to grant Related leeway on a key issue: the freedom to hire less-expensive, nonunion workers for lower-skill jobs such as site cleanup."