(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, the leaders of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO, the Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades, 32BJ SEIU, and UNITE HERE Local 25 and Local 23 issued the following statement:
On behalf of the working people of the District, we call on the Council of the District of Columbia to add labor standards to B26-288: Robert F. Kennedy Campus Redevelopment Act of 2025. We appreciate the improvements to the deal that Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has been able to negotiate with the Commanders ownership team. However, the deal before the council still lacks construction and post-construction labor agreements and public commitments to high-paying jobs on the two Commercial Development parcels. These two parcels are slated to include a mix of hospitality, office, retail, and housing.
“Without construction and post-construction labor agreements and strong public commitments to create high-paying permanent jobs, the jobs created on the Commercial Development parcels will not deliver quality employment opportunities for DC residents,” stated Sam Epps, President of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL CIO. “We need to ensure that those who will build and who will work at these properties have decent wages, health insurance, and a pension. It makes no sense with the revenue the city is forgoing, especially in this budget cycle where cuts will disproportionately impact working people.”
“Project labor agreements are key to ensuring District residents get good jobs, family-sustaining wages and benefits, and access to workforce development opportunities.”
– Greg Akerman, President
Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council
“Project labor agreements are key to ensuring District residents get good jobs, family-sustaining wages and benefits, and access to workforce development opportunities.”
– Greg Akerman, President
Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council
“Project labor agreements are key to ensuring District residents get good jobs, family-sustaining wages and benefits, and access to workforce development opportunities,” said Greg Akerman, President of the Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council. “When construction projects in the District don’t have PLAs, workers tend to get exploited by shady contractors who steal their wages. We can do much, much better for a development that’s receiving billions in taxpayer subsidies.”
“This deal is worse than the same ownership group made with the City of Philadelphia. This deal is worse than previous D.C. development deals, like at Audi Field, Nats Park and the Marriott Marquis” said Paul Schwalb, Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 25.
“The individuals who clean office and apartment buildings are often immigrants working two to three different jobs,” said Jaime Contreras, 32BJ SEIU Executive Vice President. “We need to ensure these jobs provide better wages and benefits so our families don’t have to struggle to make ends meet.”
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Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO brings together union locals in Washington, DC and five counties in Maryland, representing more than 150 affiliate unions and 150,000 working people.
The Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council represents 28 construction trades unions in the Baltimore/Washington DC/Northern Virginia region, which together represent more than 30,000 skilled craft professionals in the building and construction industry.
UNITE HERE Local 25 is a hospitality workers union that represents 6,500 workers in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Local 25 members are primarily immigrants and women of color.
UNITE HERE Local 23 represents 25,000 food service workers at stadiums, convention centers, universities and museums, airport concessions, and hotel and parking attendants in 12 states and the District of Columbia.
With more than 185,000 members in 12 states, including 22,000 in the D.C. Metropolitan Area, Richmond, VA and Baltimore, MD, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country.