Non-union construction workers slam San Diego Chargers stadium PLA

Dive Brief:

A non-union construction workers group announced its opposition of the San Diego Chargers' new $1.8 billion stadium and convention center complex at a press conference this week due to the team's intention to enter into a project labor agreement (PLA) with local trade unions for construction work, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction called "pacts" — like the Chargers' suggested PLA — "kickback schemes" that run up costs and prevent non-union workers from "an opportunity to earn a living."
In response, the San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council said that PLAs are the best way to ensure a quality labor force, don't raise costs, offer apprenticeship programs and create middle class jobs.

Dive Insight:

Trade union representatives said using union labor would ensure the project gets finished on schedule, saving the Chargers money in the end. PLAs are an ongoing controversy in the construction industry, as they create major clashes between proponents, who claim they are a way of controlling costs and quality on the job, and opponents, who claim they place an undue burden on non-union contractors and employees.

Members of the non-union group said they are committed to defeating a November ballot measure that would increase the hotel tax 4% to help fund the stadium project. The NFL and the team plan to contribute $650 million to the deal, and the hotel tax is supposed to pick up the rest of the tab. However, if non-union forces manages to influence a "no" vote on the tax, the project would most likely be dead in the water, and the Chargers could exercise their option to move to Los Angeles and share the Rams' new $3 billion stadium complex.

The Rams' new $3 billion stadium complex in Inglewood, CA, will feature a glass roof and new retail and hotel venues in the local area. Rams owner Stan Kroenke's plan — designed by architecture firm HKS and estimated to be complete in 2019 — would be the most expensive building of any sport, according to The New York Times.