How much of an oasis? The president of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce addressed the 200 delegates from construction unions and praised organized labor.
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| Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce President David Ross |
Craig Olson, president of the Duluth Building Trades Council, ticked off a long list of projects built in Duluth in recent years – all with union labor. They include $300 million in new construction and renovation of schools, the $80 million Amsoil Arena, a new downtown hotel and another scheduled on Park Point, shoreline condominiums, major hospital construction projects and the city’s first waterpark.
Labor and business have worked together “to get things done in this town,” Olson said.
Dan Olson, business manager of Laborers Local 1091 and also president of the Superior City Council, cited similar progress in his city. The key, he said, is having “people in office we can work with.”
Superior Mayor Bruce Hagen and Duluth Mayor Don Ness praised the relationships they have with Building Trades unions and said they are committed to using project labor agreements, which guarantee that workers on construction projects are paid fairly and produce results on time and under budget.
“We’re going to support project labor agreements and we’re going to support using union labor in Duluth because it’s what’s right for our community and it also can work for the Chamber . . .” Ness said.
St. Louis County, where Duluth is located, has completed $158 million in projects under project labor agreements in the past five years, noted Commissioner Keith Nelson. On average, the projects came in 7% below cost estimates.
County residents like project labor agreements because “they know that the dollars that we’re spending to build their community are being spent in their community,” Nelson said.
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| Duluth Mayor Don Ness | Superior Mayor Bruce Hagen | Duluth Building Trades President Craig Olson |
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How much of an oasis? The president of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce addressed the 200 delegates from construction unions and praised organized labor.
|
| Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce President David Ross |
“My five siblings and I were raised on union wages and more specifically we were raised on building and construction wages,” said Chamber President David Ross. “Labor, business – one does not have to exclude the other. . . We can pull together and bring jobs, union jobs, wages, prosperity to a community.”
Craig Olson, president of the Duluth Building Trades Council, ticked off a long list of projects built in Duluth in recent years – all with union labor. They include $300 million in new construction and renovation of schools, the $80 million Amsoil Arena, a new downtown hotel and another scheduled on Park Point, shoreline condominiums, major hospital construction projects and the city’s first waterpark.
Labor and business have worked together “to get things done in this town,” Olson said.
Dan Olson, business manager of Laborers Local 1091 and also president of the Superior City Council, cited similar progress in his city. The key, he said, is having “people in office we can work with.”
Superior Mayor Bruce Hagen and Duluth Mayor Don Ness praised the relationships they have with Building Trades unions and said they are committed to using project labor agreements, which guarantee that workers on construction projects are paid fairly and produce results on time and under budget.
“We’re going to support project labor agreements and we’re going to support using union labor in Duluth because it’s what’s right for our community and it also can work for the Chamber . . .” Ness said.
St. Louis County, where Duluth is located, has completed $158 million in projects under project labor agreements in the past five years, noted Commissioner Keith Nelson. On average, the projects came in 7% below cost estimates.
County residents like project labor agreements because “they know that the dollars that we’re spending to build their community are being spent in their community,” Nelson said.
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| Duluth Mayor Don Ness | Superior Mayor Bruce Hagen | Duluth Building Trades President Craig Olson |