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Following up on one vocal BUILD supporter

One supporter of Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development (BUILD), who attended a press conference Tuesday to respond to a lawsuit naming BUILD, was Vincent Haynes, who entered the conversation at 2:40 of the video below



"Contrary to the allegations that have been made by [Council Member] Letitia James and others," Haynes said, "BUILD has been responsible for employing many individuals. I can attest to that. I have been one of the individuals who landed employment."

Was that construction work, or at Atlantic Yards? No, Haynes replied, unwilling to specify where he works. "However, BUILD does an excellent job by providing to the community resources in terms of job development, job placement, and job training."

That is not at issue in the lawsuit, which regards trainees in a selective program who charge they were promised construction jobs and union memberships.

The written agreement

Just as the plaintiffs invoked the presumed protections in the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), so too has Haynes. Brooklyn the Borough reported in August 2009:
Vincent Haynes, 49, works as a Civil Servant at an unspecified city department and is a consultant to Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development (BUILD) and lives in Crown Heights. 
I think [the opposition is] a lot of smoke and mirrors, bells and whistles, pomp and circumstance, but they know like we know that the project’s going to go through and it’s only a matter of time before they’re going to climb aboard and they’re going to be in the caboose. Too much money has been invested, contracts have been drawn up, we have things in writing. It’s not just a verbal agreement, it’s a written agreement and if [Forest City Ratner] doesn’t follow through [on affordable housing and/or jobs], the courts will handle it.

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