A union label for ‘affordable’ plan

THE RETAIL, Wholesale and Department Store Union is backing Mayor de Blasio’s plan to build or preserve 200,000 affordable apartments.

Union President Stuart Appelbaum told the Daily News on Sunday he’s getting onboard because in addition to the need for lower-rent homes, de Blasio has begun to highlight his desire to bring stores that meet high labor standards into the new developments.

“People need both affordable housing and decent jobs, and when he talks about high-road retail and housing, what he’s doing is dealing with both needs simultaneously, and that encourages us,” he said. “If the retailers who come into these projects create jobs that leave people in poverty, the city has not accomplished much.”