Union leaders urge city to ensure local projects include union labor after downtown nonunion bids
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Summary
Ryan Bennett of UA Local 174 told the commission a major downtown development was entirely nonunion and urged the city to invite union participation in future projects to protect jobs and safety standards.
During public comment at the Nov. 5 Grand Rapids City Commission meeting, Ryan Bennett, business manager for UA Local 174 and president of the West Michigan Building Trades Council, urged commissioners to ensure future city developments include union labor.
Bennett said his members were surprised to find a major downtown project being built exclusively nonunion and that several large bid packages were let well before ground was broken and before financing approvals were finalized. He argued union construction typically pays about 20% more in wages and benefits, provides secure retirement and stronger training pipelines, and tends to be safer because workers can raise safety concerns without fear of retaliation. He asked the city to include union representation in development conversations and to give unions "a voice in the room."
No developer response was recorded in the meeting. Commissioners did not take immediate action on the request; the comment was part of the public‑comment record that officials can use when considering workforce and procurement policies.
Bennett also said local unions operate apprenticeship and readiness programs that serve underrepresented communities and asked city leaders to consider those pipelines when evaluating development agreements.