Project labor agreement for Vikings stadium build brings all-union job

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Work on the new $763 million Minnesota Vikings stadium — officially the “Minnesota Multi-Purpose Stadium” — will be an all-union job.Construction will involve an estimated four million work hours. At construction peak, some 1,300-1,400 workers will be on-site.The public authority which will own the stadium, the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, required project contractor M.A. Mortenson Company to negotiate a “Project Labor Agreement” with the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council.A Project Labor Agreement serve a public purpose by ensuring that the work on the project continues on schedule without any labor disputes.The 14-page agreement, signed November 22, 2013 commits the unions to no strikes or slow-downs and commits the contractor no lock-outs during the construction of the stadium.The agreement also makes the job an all-union job by recognizing the jurisdiction of the two dozen Building Trades unions named in the PLA.Both parties to the agreement also commit to a grievance and arbitration process to resolve any issues or disagreements that may arise.“It’s the largest Project Labor Agreement in the history of the state,” said Dan McConnell, business manager of the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council.He noted that the Council has entered into many PLA agreements with Mortenson in the past, including for the construction of Target Field.The PLA commits both parties to use good faith efforts to meet the diversity goals for the project workforce established by the MSFA: 32 percent minority and six percent female.Building Trades unions are gearing up to meet the diversity requirements, McConnell noted, putting training programs and strong safety programs in place.The PLA is a win-win-win for the Building Trades, Mortenson, and the MSFA, McConnell said. “It’s going to mean the project will be done by good quality contractors and hard-working union men and women.”Ironically, McConnell noted, “the first PLA we ever did was with the Metrodome,” which will be torn down to make way for the new stadium. Continue Reading

Ryan development for five blocks near Vikings stadium wins final City okay, two thousand construction jobs coming with project

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The Minneapolis City Council voted final approval December 13 for a sweeping redevelopment plan proposed by Ryan Companies that would cover five city blocks and link the new Vikings football stadium with the downtown core.The council vote was unanimous in support of the $400 million development, which will include office towers, housing, and a new park.The go-ahead for the Ryan project vindicates stadium supporters — including Governor Mark Dayton, state legislators, and a 7-6 Minneapolis Council majority — who advocated for the new stadium as a job-creating, economic development that would attract further private investment.Ryan estimates the project will bring 2,000 construction jobs.“We’re very excited about the continued resurgence of the construction industry, especially in downtown Minneapolis,” said Dan McConnell, business manager of the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council. “The credit goes to our members who got involved and advocated for the stadium project.”“The stadium project has proven to be a catalyst for development in our city,” McConnell continued.The Ryan project will be a feather in the cap of Mayor R.T. Rybak as he prepares to leave office.Mayor-elect Betsy Hodges, who voted against approving the stadium as a city council member, voted for the Ryan development: “Our community will now house fantastic and connected new spaces to live and work, and the City of Minneapolis will collect tens of millions of dollars in taxes over the coming decades,” she noted, also welcoming the construction jobs. Continue Reading

White professionals already cashing in on ‘People’s Stadium’— But promises that construction will benefit communities of color remain unkept as deadlines approach

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While there is much talk about possible delays in the construction of the “People’s Stadium,” it appears that the Vikings and MSFA are still confident it will be built. And according to a recent Associated Press (AP) article entitled, “Many already cashing in on Vikings stadium,” lots of white collar professionals have already profited from the proposed stadium.Incidentally, it appears at this point that the only people who may be left out of the benefits are people of color.Despite lots of compelling testimony last Friday at the Minnesota Sports Facility Authority (MSFA) meeting by several prominent African Americans and Somali leaders, it was all but ignored. Practically all of the media outlets in the Twin Cities were in attendance, but none reported [as of yet] or followed up with the testimony of the Black folks who were complaining that it appears that Blacks may yet again be left out of a major development project.Right: Abdizirak Bihi, at right in foreground with red tie, with others from the Somali Education and Social Advocacy Center and Summit OIC students in the background who hope to be included in the stadium construction project (Photo by Avi Viswanathan)MSFA Board Chair Michelle Kelm-Helgen, who seemed a bit annoyed by the testimony, did respond. She voiced her concerns that the public testimony part of the meeting was going on too long and that speakers were not sticking slavishly to their three-minute time limit.“I always worry when we have a process and we don’t follow the process,” said Kelm-Helgen.Ironically, speakers were complaining about the failure of the MSFA to follow a process that has already been mandated by the Minnesota legislature, which is to make sure that an Employment Assistant Firm (EAF) is hired to facilitate both the recruitment and hiring of minorities for the construction of the Vikings stadium.An RFP for this Employment Assistance Firm was issued in April, and the unified community response was submitted in May. Despite lots of assurances of commitment to employment equity goals, a contract has not been negotiated although construction is scheduled to start November 7.“We were assured that we would be intentionally included,” complained Alfred Babington Johnson. Babington Johnson’s Stair Step Foundation has come together with a conglomerate of other training, employment and outreach organizations to form one Employment Assistance Firm, ostensibly to ensure outreach and job training activities across multiple communities of color.“This hopeful narrative has become a sad story and has the potential of becoming a nightmare,” Babington Johnson said. Continue Reading

E-DEMOCRACY | Capitalism = Feudalism?

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From: David Tilsen Date: 2:25pm, Aug 25

I see it a little different. Capitalism is much closer to feudalism from which it came then we are led to believe. We are the surfs, the peasants, and occasionally the merchants. We exist to feed the desires of the men in the castle. These people like their lives of pleasure with their sports teams, their private boxes, their private jets, their multiple homes around the world, their yachts etc. We come into their lives only when they want something from us, sex, a stadium, votes, labor, a war to protect their interests etc.

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