Labor agreement reached for proposed FPC venue in Deer District on the former Bradley Center site

A labor agreement has been made regarding the construction of a potential live entertainment venue in downtown Milwaukee.  

On Monday, leaders from the Milwaukee Bucks, construction contractors, labor and city officials announced a project labor agreement on the proposed FPC Live music venue located in the Deer District on the grounds of the old Bradley Center.  

“We’re making a bet on Milwaukee,” Joel Plant, CEO of Frank Productions, said. “Big, impactful projects require partnerships.” 

The agreement brings together Miron Construction Co., JCP Construction, Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality workers union, and the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council.  

The proposal must first be approved by the city before construction can begin. 

The agreement places goals on the development for the facility to be constructed by 100% union labor, a minimum of 25% of total construction hours to be allocated to Milwaukee County residents, a minimum of 25% of subcontractors to go to minority, women and disadvantaged businesses, 15% of the labor hours plan to be for job training and apprenticeship programs and 5% of construction hours for women-labor on the site. 

“If we’re going to transform the city from a center of low wage work and an income inequality economy to one of shared prosperity for people of all backgrounds, it’s going to be because we transform service sector work into good union jobs to rebuild that middle class,” Peter Rickman, president of Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Union, said.

“FPC Live made a choice. They made a choice for good union jobs in downtown Milwaukee.” 

Dan Bukiewicz, president of the Milwaukee Building and Construction Trades Council, noted the job training and apprenticeship aspect of the agreement. 

“That is huge. Fifteen percent doesn’t seem like a lot but when you’re a young person and you want to start your career, it’s going to support your family, it’s going to carry you safely to retirement,” Bukiewicz said. “That extra 5, 10% that is on their job allows that person to have their ‘in.’ And that just doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by partnership and commitment.” 

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson called the agreement “positive news.”  

“When workers make good money, that adds stability to their lives, to their families lives, and when you get a critical mass of that happening it creates stability in our neighborhoods which leads to greater public safety for all of us,” Johnson said. 

Rickman advocated for the approval of the development 

“Voting ‘yes’ means voting for more good union jobs for residents of our city who need them the most,” Rickman said. “Voting ‘yes’ means tackling the income inequality and building the kind of city we all want to see.”  

If the development goes forward, employees working at Fiserv Forum could work at the new venue. 

“The bartender that’s trying to piece together three part-time jobs around Milwaukee is going to be able to park at one place and come to work in the same general vicinity five days a week. That’s how we turn service sector work into good family supporting jobs,” Rickman said.

“That’s why we’re so excited about this as a union because it builds the strategy that we had for years to transform this work into good family supporting full-time employment.” 

Contact Ricardo Torres at ritorres@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RicoReporting