Painters District Council No. 30 (PDC 30) is pleased to announce the successful turning of the Colman Yards project in Rockford, Illinois. As of October 2024, the $400 million project that was started using non-union labor will now be completed by 100% union labor. The news comes one year after the initial groundbreaking and following heavy protests from PDC 30 and other Northwestern Illinois Building Trades groups.
The Colman Yards project consists of the historic rehabilitation of nine factory buildings, along with significant new construction in Rockford’s downtown Main Street corridor. The completed space will feature residential, commercial, and recreation spaces for area residents. The entire project is estimated to create over 2,750 jobs over the next decade – 400 of which will now be union construction jobs.
The use of union labor was a contentious subject during the initial planning discussions between developer J. Jeffers & Co. – a Wisconsin-based company – and Rockford City Council members. When the City Council ultimately voted against requiring a project labor agreement for the project, which ultimately led to the hiring of out-of-state contractors and out-of-area workers, representatives from the local building trades groups went into action.
PDC 30 business representative and organizer Rich Shuga eagerly stepped forward to spearhead labor’s response. He planned bi-weekly job actions throughout the summer – many of which were building trades-wide. Variations of Scabby the Rat lined Main Street every other Thursday, alongside banners asking Where are the local workers?
“It’s easy to look past one trade’s picket, but when we join forces across the building trades, our union voices are that much harder to ignore,” shares Shuga. “A large project like this will put people to work for years to come – and those workers should come from the local community.”
After months of protest, J Jeffers & Co. and the City Council agreed to move forward with 100% union labor on the Colman Yards project through the use of PLAs – an incredible victory for PDC 30 and all the participating building trades groups.
“It’s important that we educate the community about where their tax dollars are going,” adds Shuga. “When local community residents are hired to complete projects in our area, their income goes back into our local economy. These jobs should put our neighbors back to work, not employ visitors from out of state – and when the public understands these issues as well as we do, they side with labor 100% of the time.”
