Rebuilding The Winter Garden

We are writing about the cover story "Lightning Renewal of Dazzling Atrium Lifts Lagging Spirits" in your magazine's 9/11 commemoration issue (ENR 9/9 p. 8). W&W Glass Systems Inc. was a key subcontractor involved in the reconstruction of the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center that was damaged in last years 9/11 attack. As such, we are pleased to see the amount of coverage devoted to the monumental task of rebuilding the damaged complex.

One of the biggest challenges was the aggressive schedule. W&W agreed to complete the repairs and new installations before the anniversary of 9/11. That entailed installing over 200,000 sq ft of glass in less than nine months.

We also faced the challenge of a jobsite going through rapid transformation 24 hours a day, all around us. Site conditions during the recovery and clean-up phases required an enormous amount of careful coordination to maintain the highest level of safety, which was a top priority.

JEROME HABER
President
W&W Glass Systems Inc
Nanuet, N.Y

Terror And Religion

The letter from s.m. hussain taking issue with the term "Islamic terrorists" as written in an earlier editorial, is itself in error (ENR 9/23 p. 5). The identification of the murderers of nearly three thousand innocent civilians was assigned by the terrorists themselves, who declared their wanton acts justified by the Islamic concept of "jihad," or holy war. It may be true that their interpretation was warped, but it is apparent that at least they considered their acts religiously based and justified.

Neither is it true that past religious-based atrocities were not associated with their sources. Certainly there is no question that the Crusades and the Inquisition were Christian in origin, nor the slaughter of Armenians by Muslims.

I have no argument with the position that most Muslims in this nation are loyal to this country and decry the crimes in question. I would feel better if just one imam publicly declared that the terrorist assassins are burning eternally in hell rather than basking in paradise. Perhaps that might give future fanatics cause to reconsider their actions.

CHARLES R. EISENTEIN, P.E.
Tech Reps Inc.
Edison, N.J.


Labor Agreements Wrong

in a recent article, afl-cio building and Construction Trades Dept. President Edward Sullivan was quoted as saying BCTD will appeal to the Supreme Court a federal appeals court decision upholding President Bush’s executive order banning government-mandated project labor agreements on federally funded and federally assisted projects (ENR 9/9 p. 72).

The assertion that the order conflicts with the National Labor Relations Act is wrong. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit considered BCTD’s claims of the impact of this executive order on the National Labor Relations Act and unanimously rejected BCTD’s position. The Associated Builders and Contractors strongly supports the president’s executive order and agrees with the findings of the federal appeals court. We are confident the U.S. Supreme Court will either decline to hear the case or vote to uphold the president’s executive order.

The order is fully authorized by statute and properly favors open competition in the use of federal funds to procure construction services.

KEN ADAMS
2002 National Chairman
Associated Builders and Contractors
New Castle, Del