Members of the building trades and UNITE HERE Local 25 joined concerned city residents at a packed town hall meeting at Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Ward 7 on May 15 to discuss the new RFK stadium project.
They called on D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the city council to ensure that a large investment of taxpayer money for a new stadium and entertainment district comes with a strong commitment to good jobs for D.C. residents.
“If they’re going to invest $1 billion,” said Joshua Armstead, D.C. Chapter Vice President for UNITE HERE Local 23, “we need to make sure that they’re good union jobs in construction, good union jobs for food service workers, and good union jobs that sustain the people in Ward 7 where the stadium will be built.”
“We want a comprehensive PLA on the RFK project. We ask that our city council stand with us and keep our PLA law strong and require the entire RFK project to be built and operated union.”
Ronald Pickett
IBEW Local 26 apprentice
“We want a comprehensive PLA on the RFK project. We ask that our city council stand with us and keep our PLA law strong and require the entire RFK project to be built and operated union.”
Ronald Pickett
IBEW Local 26 apprentice
IBEW Local 26 apprentice Ronald Pickett speaks at the May 15 town hall meeting at Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Ward 7.
At the end of April, the Commanders and Mayor Bowser announced a $4 billion deal to construct the new home for the NFL team at the site of the old RFK Stadium.
“We must make sure that all the protections are in place for good, quality union jobs and a pipeline of jobs for all residents,” said Jeff Long, D.C. Director for the Baltimore-D.C. Metro Building Trades Council.
The building trades are calling for the stadium redevelopment to include a project labor agreement (PLA) that supports local hiring requirements, providing D.C. residents with family-supporting career opportunities in construction.
“We want a comprehensive PLA on the RFK project,” IBEW Local 26 apprentice and Ward 8 resident Ronald Pickett told the town hall audience. “We ask that our city council stand with us and keep our PLA law strong and require the entire RFK project to be built and operated union.”
Union members and concerned D.C. residents fill the room at Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church for a May 15 town hall meeting to discuss the RFK stadium and entertainment district project.
Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 5 apprentice Elishauntae Lindsay said she enjoys work that contributes to her community and looks forward to telling her children about the various jobs she has worked on.
“I’m a fifth-year apprentice who’s graduating this year,” said Lindsay, to loud applause from the audience. “I take pride in knowing that I can drive past these buildings and show my daughters and be like, ‘Hey, you know, mommy’s hand is in that building. I helped build that building.’ ”
Aaron Williams, also an apprentice with Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 5, said that being able to work on the Audi Field project, which operated under a PLA, was life-changing for him.
“I loved it. And I love Local 5 for giving me the opportunity to work on that job,” said Williams. “I would love to get on RFK Stadium. I love the Commanders. That’s my team!”
Watch video from the town hall meeting: