With a stroke of a pen, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb signed an executive order ensuring labor unions would be part of all critical infrastructure projects in the City of Cleveland that cost $500,000 or more.
“It’s so important because we know that unions create good paying jobs for Cleveland residents,” Bibb said.
Bibb said they have hundreds of millions of dollars planned for neighborhood development. $5 billion worth of investments are planned for the city’s waterfront, and then there is the $500 million investment in the proposed stadium project.
Bibb said he’s fighting to keep the Browns in town.
“It’s so critical,” Bibb said. “So many hotels, restaurants and bars and retail shops really rely on the revenue from Browns season. Some folks may think it’s only, you know, eight to 10 games a year, but that’s still a significant chunk of revenue for small businesses.”
Cleveland has invested $10 million in its workforce development training initiative, but one of the biggest obstacles to building these projects is a shortage of construction workers.