New York Daily News

By FRANK LOMBARDI, BARBARA ROSS

and BILL HUTCHINSON

Daily News Staff Writers

7-2-98

Former Mayor David Dinkins blasted city officials yesterday for being unprepared for the 40,000 construction workers who clashed with cops Tuesday, while Mayor Giuliani defended the way police quelled the violence.

Dinkins said Giuliani treated the protesters with kid gloves - in contrast to the iron fist he has shown protesting taxi drivers.

"His rationale is that they only expected 10,000 and many more showed up," Dinkins said. "I don't think they were prepared for even 10,000."

Tuesday's protest drew about 40,000 unionized workers who are upset over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's hiring of Roy Kay Inc., a Freehold, N.J., contractor that uses nonunion builders. The demonstration erupted into clashes with cops when workers began marching from Manhattan's East Side to an MTA construction site at W. 54th St. and Ninth Ave.

"I believe that in another city, that could have been a very, very dangerous situation," said Giuliani, who praised cops for controlling the violence and arresting 38 demonstrators.

Thirty-three hardhats faced charges ranging from misdemeanor mischief to felony rioting and burglary in Manhattan Criminal Court yesterday. At least 20 cops and three demonstrators suffered minor injuries.

Kevin McDermott, an attorney for the workers, called the charges exaggerated.

As union laborers returned to the MTA construction site yesterday and shouted obscenities at nonunion builders, Roy Kay official David Kay defended his company's work.

"They're angry because we're good," said Kay. "They can't stop us. We work hard."

Roy Kay's attorneys are seeking an injunction in Manhattan Supreme Court that would bar protesters from picketing their work site.

Meanwhile, Giuliani questioned the "political" savvy of the MTA's decision in April to award the $32.6 million contract to Roy Kay.

"Here you have one of the largest, most significant contracts being given to a New Jersey company, and you have people out of work in New York," the mayor said.