Wages a sticking point in Union Station development
By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published December 9, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Plans to redevelop Denver Union Station are expected to be finalized in the coming months.
But the benefits to the community, such as good-paying jobs for operation and maintenance work on the public areas of the proposed transportation hub, remain a sticking point.
The Front Range Economic Strategy Center and the Campaign for Responsible Development want prevailing and living wages to be paid to the four types of workers who will be servicing the public spaces.
If the city does the contracting, then the city's prevailing and living wage ordinances must apply. Three Metro Districts have promised to do the same.
But it remains unclear what will happen if the contracting falls under the Denver Union Station Project Authority, which will oversee financing.
The answer, however, will be known soon. The authority, known as DUSPA, is scheduled to vote Dec. 18 on a resolution in which it would agree to pay prevailing and living wages to janitors, window washers, security guards and parking attendants.
"I'm very committed to it, but I can't speak for the rest of the board," said former Denver City Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth, who chairs DUSPA.
Union Station is poised to be the centerpiece of the FasTracks public transportation system.
The plan of development was to go before the full council on first reading on Monday.
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9:25 a.m.
Suggest removal
whazzamattau writes:
For crying out loud. The socialists in union shill organizations such as Front Range Economic Strategy Center and the Campaign for Responsible Development want to defy market driven economics and impost their Utopian schemes on the taxpayers backs once again. Why is city council listening to these extortionists?
The City of Denver is setting up its citizens to be fleeced once again by allowing the bullying of these union organizing groups to extend their influence deeper into the fabric of our community. Shame on them and our city representatives that allow this.