HIZZONER 'BUILDS' UNION SUPPORT

Carl Campanile

July 15, 2005 -- Three construction unions endorsed Republican Mayor Bloomberg yesterday during a raucous rally — and blasted his would-be Democratic rivals for opposing the defeated West Side stadium.

Union leaders representing carpenters, painters and laborers gave Bloomberg a hero's welcome at the Hammerstein Ballroom for spurring development and construction throughout the city — including planned stadiums for the Yankees and Mets.

They praised his failed effort to build a facility on theWest Side — which was opposed by the four Democratic mayoral candidates.

"Payback is a bitch!" said Sandy Vagelatos, business manager of the District 9 painters union.

Bloomberg told his supporters, "We have a great team — you and me and people out in the streets. There's jobs being created, and we did it together."

He vowed there will be massive development on the far West Side, even without the stadium.