KANSAS CITY, Mo. –Stand Up KC, a local workers rights group, is releasing a list of demands they want to see if the new Royals’ stadium complex moves forward.
The demands come ahead of Tuesday’s public hearing hosted by the Royals.
Terrence Wise, a leader with Stand Up KC, said the organization has a great opportunity to change lives with the project’s potential revenue.
“We know that John Sherman has been very charitable to Kansas City and the community as a whole, but he can leave a lasting legacy on poor and working families,” Wise said. “What the Royals are doing, this is a massive project, $2 billion so it’s either gonna be good or bad for the city, nothing in the middle so we need a strong CBA so that poor and working families like mine can benefit from this project.”
The group is looking for the Royals to agree to five stipulations in what’s called a community benefit agreement. Those stipulations include:
- At least 50% of employees hired must come from underserved neighborhoods in Kansas City
- There will be no interference with any union efforts or negotiations
- A wage floor would be established that represents a living wage
- All current stadium workers to keep their jobs
- The agreement would address affordable housing options should anyone be displaced
“Lift wages not only for workers in this entertainment district, but all across the city,” Wise said. “Cause what goes on with this new project and the stadium not only impacts downtown and the entertainment district that they’re planning, but folks like me who work five miles away from the complex and all across the city.”
The Royal’s next public listening sessions are set for Tuesday, Jan. 31 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Urban Youth Academy, and Wednesday Feb. 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
