Workers urge faster rebuilding at 9/11 site

The protest was held days before a Friday deadline for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and developer Larry Silverstein to work out a new schedule for rebuilding parts of the site. Construction is underway on 1 World Trade Center, a memorial, and a transit hub, but the building of other towers has stalled in a dispute over financing.

The authority, which controls the property, wants more private-sector cash for the project than Silverstein has offered and says it is better to delay construction on two of the towers until the real estate market improves.

But with union officials saying 15 percent to 20 percent of their construction workers are jobless, the hard hat-wearing protesters said they want more work as soon as possible.

“We have people out for 40 weeks before they get a job,’’ said Greg Kapps, an electrician. “There are a lot of people out.’’

One protester’s sign read: “Don’t Forget 9/11: Delay Means Defeat.’’