Union Agreement Reached for Downtown Arena

The Kings and City of Sacramento jointly announced today that a Union Agreement had been reached for construction of the Downtown Arena.  The agreement was signed by Turner Construction and the Sacramento-Sierra Building & Construction Trades Council.

Under the Community Workforce and Training Agreement, at least 60% of construction workers and 70% of apprentices have to be from the city of Sacramento or surrounding region.  The arena project is expected to create between 3,000 to 3,500 jobs for construction alone.

The agreement also contains no strike or lockout provisions, thus protecting against possible future delays and cost overruns.

From the press release of the announcement:

"Today's announcement is proof positive that business and labor stand united in their commitment to this project and its transformative economic potential for the Sacramento region," said Mayor Johnson. "The arena is first and foremost about creating jobs, and I'm thrilled to see the Kings, Turner, and Building Trades demonstrating such a strong commitment to putting our community back to work."

"The promise of Sacramento's entertainment and sports center becoming a premier project for the region can only be realized with skilled craftsmen and women constructing the arena. The value goes beyond providing solid middle-class jobs," said Steinberg. "Time and time again since the 1930's, workforce agreements have been proven to save money for taxpayers and investors through construction efficiency and high quality.  Our workers and our residents deserve nothing less."

"We are excited to reach this agreement a full year before construction begins," said Granger. "The CWTA will not only ensure that we build the best arena in the NBA on time and on budget, but also that our region fully benefits from good paying construction jobs."

"Sacramento building trades workers are some of the best trained and best equipped in the nation, and now they will play an important role in the construction of this important civic space," said Canevari. "The CWTA is a significant moment for the business-labor relations in Sacramento. During the week of Labor Day, we are proud to announce and be a part of this community partnership."

"This is a major step forward as we get ready for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art building," explained Chuck Baldwin, Project Executive for Turner Construction.  "I'm excited about today's progress and can't wait to get shovels in the ground."

The agreement is not without its opposition, as the Sacramento Bee notes.  A group called the Coalition for Fair Employment is already protesting and representatives of the group have told the Bee that they will likely partner with anti-arena groups now.