The scene of the alleged crime.

The seven plaintiffs named in the suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, allege that instructors from BUILD, or “Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development,” had promised to give participants in its “Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program” the chance to get membership into construction unions.

“Their understanding was that upon being admitted (into the unions), which (BUILD instructors) guaranteed they would be when they completed the program, that they would be given a job on the Atlantic Yards construction site,” Matt Brinckerhoff, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, told The Commercial Observer.

Mr. Brinckerhoff added that the training itself was “muddled and haphazard” and taught the participants “various platitudes.”

“Getting into a union is not a simple matter, but the belief was, and certainly the promise was, that because Ratner is a huge developer and uses a lot – if not exclusively - union labor on these projects… that when he and his representatives promised union membership, it was meaningful,” said Mr. Brinckerhoff.

BUILD President James Caldwell did not reply for a request for comment in time for publication.

Joe DePlasco, a spokesman for Forest City Ratner, flatly denied the group's cliams that they were promised prompt union membership.

“FCRC did not promise union cards, nor was it in a position to promise union cards,” wrote Mr. DePlasco in an email.

BUILD was part of a Community Benefits Agreement set up by Forest City Ratner to help local residents find work on the Atlantic Yard development and other related projects.

The BUILD program was not a union program, but, instead, provided participants the skills necessary to get into union programs, said Mr. DePlasco.

Forest City Ratner is currently using 799 construction workers on the Atlantic Projects construction site, said Mr. DePlasco, and 410 of them are New York City residents (174 of them are from Brooklyn).

So far, 36 people have participated in the Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program, saidMr. DePlasco. Of those, 19 are working in property management, retail, or construction positions, he added. Two of them finished the program and were accepted into a roofers union.

Atlantic Yards is mixed-use commercial and residential project that will open up 16 high-rise buildings and unveil the Barclays Center, the future home of the New Jersey Nets.

Daniel Edward Rosen, Staff Writer, is reachable at Drosen@Observer.com

The released pages also show that BUILD, which has received $138,000 so far from Forest City Ratner, the Atlantic Yards developer, expects another $62,000 by the end of the year. No mention of who might be writing that check—although the organization does plan to “solicit funds from corporate, individual and governmental sources.”

Meanwhile, the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods released the results of its survey of local groups (very big PDF). It’s difficult to summarize the data except to say that traffic was the leading concern.

-Matthew Schuerman

The Times also reports that Manhattanites are a wee fed up with the rebuilding rigmorale down Ground Zero way, according to a Pace Poll.

The Post has an article on the Mayor's move to rely on philanthropists and banking institutions to provide loans for up to 30,000 units of affordable housing.

What's with all the polls? Here's a poll on pols: Most New Yorkers want Governor Pataki to cede control of the Ground Zero site to Mayor Bloomberg. You want a smart comment? How's this: Yawn.

-Matthew Grace