Construction union pickets Port KC over wage dispute
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Union members protesting. Photo: Courtesy of the Greater Kansas City Building Trades
Union construction workers began picketing Port KC this month, saying wage loopholes and weak labor standards are undercutting local workers.
Why it matters: Port KC is central to KC's major developments, from billion-dollar data centers to riverfront projects, and disputes over labor standards could reshape how those deals are structured.
The big picture: Union leaders say developers receiving Port KC tax incentives are paying lower wages and hiring out-of-town labor instead of trained local tradespeople, bypassing certified apprenticeship programs.
Members of the Greater KC Building & Construction Trades union began picketing on Feb. 11 outside Port KC's office and at construction sites, including The Refinery at 18th and Main.
Zoom in: Union leaders say certain projects — those that are sold to Port KC, financed by bonds, and then paid off through leases — can undercut workers because the developers aren't subject to the same state regulations as they would be for other types of public projects.
The latest: Port KC staff this month recommended phasing in wage requirements for industrial, logistics and data projects exceeding $25 million.
- Mike Talboy, the union's political director, says that's not enough because it doesn't cover multifamily, mixed-use, and hotel developments.
Behind the scenes: Union leaders say they discussed campaigning in August, but Port KC asked them to hold off and promised to enact a prevailing wage resolution and apprenticeship standards.
- Port KC spokesperson Patrick Pierce tells Axios a September resolution directed its staff to draft new policies.
- Five months later, Port KC commissioners have not adopted new rules.
The other side: Port KC president and CEO Jon Stephens told Fox 4 they have always been in favor of the new rules; they just haven't advanced them yet.
- Multiple construction companies submitted letters asking Port KC not to enact new wage or apprenticeship rules, saying it would increase construction costs by up to 20% and stymie development.
What they're saying: Mike Amash, the union's lawyer, tells Axios progress has been made, but if it stalls as before, "there is the ability to escalate into other types of pressure campaigns" at job sites throughout the city.
What's next: Talboy said Port KC is working to schedule a meeting with union leaders before the board's March 24 meeting.