New York, NY – On May 5, 2026, Unions rallies against worker mistreatment by Apollo Global Management and demonstrated at their headquarters in New York
City. The demonstration was led by LIUNA Local 79 and joined by CUNY’s Professional Staff Congress (PSC-CUNY), St. John’s University’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (SJU-AAUP), and the NYC Central Labor Council.
“5 Times Square is one of the largest office-to-residential conversion projects in the city, yet Apollo Global Management and RXR allow construction workers to be paid low wages with no pathway to retirement,” said Anthony Vita, Business Manager of LIUNA Local 79. “We’re here to put Apollo and RXR on notice that it’s time to do right by NYC workers whose skill, hard work, and dedication build this city.”
Apollo Global is partnering with RXR on the office-to-residential conversion project at 5 Times Square, which will transform the 39-story office tower to 1290 housing units. 25% of the new units are slated to be earmarked as affordable housing. Construction workers have complained that they are under paid.
“I worked as a construction laborer for a non-union body shop at 5 Times Square and jobsites around New York City, I was making close to minimum wage,” said construction worker William White. “It was difficult to survive and support my kids. I asked the company for a raise multiple times but I never received one. I had to rely on Medicaid even though I was working full time. I was afraid to lose my job because of my incarceration history. Construction laborers at 5 Times Square should be treated with the dignity they deserve and should be paid just wages with benefits.”
“I am proud to stand in solidarity with LIUNA Local 79, St. John’s AAUP, PSC-CUNY, and the NYC Central Labor Council to call on Apollo Global Management to uphold New York City labor standards,” said NYC Council Member Virginia Maloney. “Construction workers at 5 Times Square and any site in our city should be treated fairly. New York is and will always be a union town.”
“Fighting corporate greed in this town invariably leads to low-road actors like Apollo Global.” said NYC Central Labor Council President, Brendan Griffith. “From construction workers to university professors, Apollo CEO Marc Rowan has shown a fundamental disrespect for working people. We’re calling on Apollo and RXR to pay community standard wages at 5 Times Square, and on Rowan to stop participating in the unscrupulous attacks on higher education. In a union town like New York City, this is simply unacceptable.”
