Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Benefits Workforce topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Councilors, union press for prevailing wage, local hiring and community benefits in RFP; DCAM signals support
Summary
Councilors urged DCAM to include responsible employer and local hiring goals in the RFP. DCAM said prevailing wage will apply and that diversity and local workforce expectations are intended; SEIU 32BJ raised concerns about a current downtown contractor’s treatment of incumbent cleaners.
Springfield councilors and community groups asked DCAM on April 30, 2025, to include explicit community benefit and responsible‑employer expectations in the RFP for the Springfield Regional Justice Center so that local residents, minority‑ and women‑owned firms, veterans and people with disabilities can access jobs.
Councilor (Vice President) Tracy Whitfield asked that the city’s responsible‑employer ordinance goals be “included in the RFP contract,” and DCAM Commissioner Adam Bakke replied that although construction will be under a private contract, the agency will require prevailing wage on the project and intends to carry forward diversity expectations for subcontracting and workforce participation. Bakke said the specific numerical goals had not yet been finalized.
Otoniel Figueroa Duram, employee relations coordinator for SEIU 32BJ, urged DCAM to ensure the development supports “good jobs” and raised a local example: cleaners at 1 Monarch Place who are represented by SEIU. He said a change in contractor threatened existing wages and benefits and asked that bidders be evaluated on whether they preserve local quality jobs.
DCAM and trial court representatives noted that day‑to‑day court operations would continue to be performed by state employees represented by unions and that operations of the facility would not be the landlord’s responsibility. But DCAM said it would and does expect to include workforce requirements on construction and subcontracting. Several councilors and speakers encouraged DCAM to evaluate proposals on economic impact, local hiring commitments and how a proposal would mitigate harm to existing downtown businesses.
No final RFP language was presented at the meeting; DCAM invited written community input as it finalizes comparative criteria.
